Metamorphosis: A Hyuga Tale
by XxShawns Guardian AngelxX
Summary: Hinata is all alone everyday in the leaf village. Hiashi decides to send her away hoping that it will help her.He makes Neji and Sasuke her escorts. Neji & Sas have feelings 4 Hin but she is dating Kilik from the Rain Village. 20000 hits!
1. You're Not Alone Hinata

"_Father? She's cute father." Hinata blushed as her cousin stared at her._

"_Not now Neji," his father said abruptly._

"_Did I…did I say something wrong father?" he asked slightly hurt by his father's shortness._

"_Uh…no…no son. I'm sorry," Hizashi replied._

"_It's time I take Neji under my care Hizashi."_

"_Yeah…right. Neji, from now on your uncle Hiashi will be looking after you some during the day alright?"_

"_Yes father. That means I'll get to spend more time with Lady Hinata!"_

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"Neji!"

"What is it that you want Ten Ten?" His thoughts had been interrupted by his fellow team mate.

"Aren't you coming to eat lunch? You promised Lee and me that you would come."

"No, thanks. I have plans."

"But you always have plans!" she replied angrily.

"Don't test my patience," he replied coldly. "Go and have fun with Lee. He needs the attention since he's clearly not getting any from the leaf princess _Sakura_. Give him my message. I'm sure he'll understand." Tenten sighed before leaping off into the trees. Neji continued to stare at the clouds. It was almost time…

"BYAKUGAN!"

Neji looked all around and finally spotted who he had been looking for all morning. She was sitting alone under a tree near the florist. Ino and Sakura were gossiping, no doubt about how great Sasuke was and was paying no attention to Hinata whatsoever. In fact, he doubted that they noticed her sitting there. He continued to watch her and noticed that she had been crying. Her eyes were all red and puffy. Neji frowned and cursed under his breath before taking off.

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Hinata sat under the tree pretending to be engulfed by the latest romance novel by her favorite author Nefatiri Konomo, but it was no use. She listened as Sakura and Ino laughed and fussed about how great Sasuke is.

"_Did you see him yesterday Ino? He punched Naruto's lights out! The idiot."_

"_Yeah, I saw but did you see him wink at me?"_

"_No way he'd ever wink at you!"_

"_Oh yes he would you billboard brow!"_

"_Pig!"_

Hinata sighed and closed the book. It was a Saturday afternoon and while everyone else was gossiping and having fun, she was sitting all alone. You would think she'd be used to it by now since no one ever paid her any attention, but some days were worse than others. Today was one of those days. She looked around and saw Lee and Tenten playing a game of dodge. Tenten was tossing daggers at him and Lee was getting hit each time. They seemed to be having so much fun. _Why can't I have fun with somebody?_ _Why won't anyone pay attention to me…or care about me?_ She knew the answer to this. She had asked herself this question several times already. It was because she didn't like herself. Sure, she got loads of attention from the village elders. As a princess and future heir to the Hyuga throne so to speak, she received attention all the time, most of it unwanted. What she really wanted was…a friend, someone her age who understood her. No one in the leaf village seemed to understand how a princess could be so alone and mundane. Hinata closed her book and rested her head on her knees. _Today is going to be another long, boring day…_

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Neji silently landed onto a branch of the tree that she was sitting under. No one heard him land and no one could see him…well, except for her if she looked. He sat their and watched Sakura and Ino. _Silly girls_. He frowned before turning his attention to Hinata. He had been watching her everyday since his match against Naruto. He always thought she was pretty and after that match he started paying more attention to her for some odd reason that could not be explained. Everyday it was the same thing; either she was with the village elders or somewhere alone. No one, except maybe Naruto and Shino, acknowledged her presence and it was starting to piss him off. He wanted to beat the hell out of everyone but he could not. For starters, it wasn't in his nature to care too much for…anyone. He sighed as he watched the wind whip through Hinata lovely navy strands.

"Why don't you say something to her?" a voice whispered. Neji gasped. He had not noticed anyone coming up behind him. He made a mental note to be more careful in the future.

"What do you want? Did you follow me here?" Neji asked coldly.

"Yes…I…I did. I've noticed a slight change in you and chose today to ask how you've been."

"Well, Kurenai I have been well, but I think you can see that for yourself."

"No need to be so upset with me Neji. I was just concerned that's all."

"There's no need to be. I'm not going to kill her if that's what you mean." Kurenai sighed before tossing a pen and paper at him. He caught it with ease.

"Say something to her. She needs to hear a good word. I've never seen her so depressed." She took off through the trees without another word. Neji stared at the blank paper for a minute. _What to say?_ He looked down and saw that she was now crying. He quickly scribbled a message before tossing it at her and leaping off.

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Hinata looked up as a small piece of origami hit her head. She opened it up and saw that someone had written her a message.

_You are not as alone as you think you are. I'm_

_always watching princess._

_Xoxoxo_

Hinata smiled and put the message inside her book. It was the happiest she had been in all her life.

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**AN:** _This is just the introduction and I never really make my intros long. Yes, this story will be AU all over the place so if you don't like AU then this is not for you. If you haven't read my writing before then you're probably thinking WTF? With me, you just never know...I'm letting you know now, I don't write to please everybody. That's impossible for me to do and I thrive on being **original**. Anyway, I'll post another chapter or two soon. R&R. Tell me what you think and I welcome flames. -eye roll- Flame all you want, but I get tired of the same old stuff. That is all. -grins-  
_


	2. Sending Her Away

Hinata grabbed her things and made her way back towards the forest. She was hoping maybe to find Shino or Kiba so that she could show them the letter.

"Lady Hinata!" She turned to see Kiba running after her.

"Ki…Kiba, I wish you wouldn't call me that."

"I'm sorry princess," he said grinning, "but the elders would kill me if they heard me address you improperly. Anyway, I come to tell you that your father wants to see you."

"Oh, ok," she said gloomily.

"Oh, cheer up Hinata. It can't be all bad. I'm sure he just…"

"Thanks Kiba. I'll…I'll see you later."

Hinata turned around and headed back towards her home. She was in no hurry to get there for she was pretty sure she had more training to look forward to. Before she knew it, she was standing outside her home. _Oh well, here goes…_

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Neji sat on the ground under his favorite tree staring at the clouds. He was trying not to think about the letter he wrote Hinata but he couldn't help it. What would she think? Would she recognize the handwriting?

"_Neji, you're so cool and so strong!"_

"_Oh, well…thanks but you're strong too Hinata," he said smiling at her._

"_No I'm not. I'll never be as good as you!" she said, sitting on the floor of the dojo. She had started to cry._

"_Lady Hinata please…do not cry. I'll help you get better. I'll help you to become as strong as ever!"_

"_Really? You promise?" she asked looking up at him._

"_I promise."_

"Neji!" Neji frowned at the sound of his name. He did not wish to be bothered and was becoming ever so tired of the interruptions.

"What did I do this time sensei?" he asked still staring at the clouds.

"Nothing Neji my boy. I just come to tell you that your uncle wishes to see you."

"Oh, goody," he replied sarcastically. "Do you know what it is that he wants? I'd rather not go."

"He said something about you meeting someone. It has something to do with Lady Hinata. Now Neji, do try to be nice. Hinata did not look too happy about the arrangements…" Neji quickly stood up to face Guy.

"What arrangements?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not at…liberty to say anything…but there's some guy from the Rain village here to see her. I think Hiashi is sending her away for a while…HEY NEJI! BEHAVE YOURSELF!" Guy shouted, but Neji was long gone. He quickly took off running through the forest. _Arrangements? What arrangements? Where is he sending her?_

"BYAKUGAN!"

It didn't take long to spot Hinata. She was standing outside the dojo with a red headed guy he'd never seen before. He was holding her hand smiling at her reassuringly. She however, did not look too happy. In fact, if it was possible she looked a lot worse than she did earlier. Neji frowned. Whatever it was it couldn't be good.

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"Lady Hinata, I promise you have nothing to worry about. Everything's going to be fine. A lot of people are going to be excited to see you."

"Oh…well, thanks. I just…don't think that…the idea of having to leave the Hidden Leaf Village…"

"Leave the Leaf Village?" a cold voice asked curiously. Hinata and her friend looked up to see Neji standing in front of them. Hinata's face turned red and she looked at the ground.

"Who are you?" the boy asked curiously.

"Who I am matter's not. Besides, I asked you first. Didn't your village ever teach you manners?" The red headed boy frowned and was about to respond when Hiashi stepped outside the dojo.

"Neji, come on in. I want a word with you." Neji cut the boy a cold look before entering the dojo.

"Uncle, who was that impudent boy?" Hiashi just laughed.

"Impudent huh? He did not seem all that rude to me," he chuckled. "Anyway, I sent for you to tell you that I am sending Hinata away for awhile."

"Away? I don't understand…"

"Well, she seems…unhappy here and I think that some time away will do her some good."

"How will it do her some good uncle? Don't you think that sending her away from her home will make things that much worse?" he asked angrily. Hiashi raised an eyebrow at his nephew.

"I never knew you cared so much," he said curiously.

"I didn't say that I cared uncle. Do not mistake my curiosity for kindness."

"As you wish. But uh…the boy outside…well, his name is Kilik Mumoto. He is the grandson of the famous Jai Mumoto of the Rain Village. He was sent here to escort the Lady, but I think he's taken a liking to her," he said thoughtfully as he paced the dojo.

"A liking? He just met her."

"Yeah, but I think he'll be good for her. Everyone else in the village has their crushes and things. I've never once seen her show interest in anybody."

"I think it's the other way around uncle."

"Yeah, well, that's a possibility too, but she needs to be more assertive. She'll soon be of age and well…you where I'm going with this. There are a couple of young ladies there that can help her."

"Fine. If you think that's best then whatever. She's your daughter. Now, if you don't mind my asking, why exactly am I here?"

"Well, Neji…as you know it is your job to protect members of the main branch of the family. I was hoping you'd accompany Lady Hinata."

"She has a noble escort. Why am I needed? I thought you said he…"

"I do think he's a nice young man, but I'd feel so much better if a member of the Leaf Village was there with her. I want her to be alone, but not completely alone."

"I don't know if it's a good idea to send me along," he said hotly.

"Oh?"

"It's…I do not think I'll be able to get along with her red headed friend. I may have to teach him proper manners."

"Now, Neji, I need you to go. Hinata won't go unless one of her friends go along with her."

"I am not her friend."

"But I know you won't let anything happen to her. You always did the right thing…even as a child. You will both be leaving in a few days."

"How long…?"

"As long as she needs to stay. There's nothing going on here in the village. I see no reason why she can't stay awhile."

"As you wish uncle," he replied before walking out. Hinata was now sitting on the ground by herself and she had her head down over her knees. Neji watched her for a moment. She must have felt his presence for she immediately sat up and went pale. Am I really that scary he wondered? He said nothing but gave a curt nod before running off.

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Hinata let out a sigh of relief before standing to her feet. So Neji was going to escort her…Hinata shook her head. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and wanted this trip to come and go as soon as possible.

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_Why is she so afraid of me?_ Neji walked slowly through the forest until he reached his favorite tree. He climbed a top so that no one could see him and interrupt his thoughts. He was a little let down that she was so afraid of him, but he knew it was his fault. It wasn't too long ago that they faced each other in battle. _I almost killed her._ _If I had known then what I know now…_The trip was going to be slightly awkward. Even though she wasn't attracted to him, he found himself somewhat drawn to her. He even felt a pang of jealously when he saw her standing with Kilik. _I have got to get more comfortable being around her. _He decided to pay her another visit sometime soon before the trip. He had no idea what he was going to say to her but it was for the best. He needed to figure out why he was so drawn to her before the trip otherwise, who knows what might happen.

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**AN: **_I feel the flames...-shrugs- Oh, well. Anyway, it could be what you think...or maybe not. You just never know. -Bwahahaha- REVIEW!! _


	3. Sneaking Out

Hinata sat in her room and kept reading and re-reading the note that fell from the tree. She had no idea who sent it to her but she was very glad that someone thought enough to write her one. _I'm always watching princess…_ She wished that she would have used her Byakugan to see who had sent it but she did not think of that at the time. She folded the letter and put it in her secret drawer. She walked over to the window and saw that it was clear night. The moon was shining brightly as well as the stars. It was the perfect night for a dip in the local hot spring. She sighed. She would never be allowed to go out alone. The thought crossed her mind to sneak out but it wasn't in her nature to do something like that. However, given the circumstances she decided to go out anyway…but not before telling one of her favorite guards.

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Hinata slipped into her favorite navy swim shorts and a navy halter. She decided to let her long hair hang freely before slipping out the window and heading towards the hot spring. She looked around quickly before letting out a sigh of relief. There was no one around which meant she had the entire hot spring to herself. She very quietly entered the gate and sat down in the spring, resting her back against one of the smooth, hard rocks. For the moment, all her problems seemed to go away.

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Neji stopped short before reaching the hot spring. Someone else was there. He silently used his Byakagun and very easily spotted the Lady Hinata. Even though she was lying in the shadows, he was still able to make out who she be. He frowned to himself. She had no business out at this time of night on her own. _What could she be thinking?_ He quietly made his way to the gate, being very careful not to make a sound, and entered it quietly. She had not heard him and was now singing a sweet lullaby to the frogs nearby. He stopped when he was a few feet away and lied down on the ground, listening to her song. She finished singing it seconds later before sitting up out of the water. _Should I say something to her? _She stood up out of the water and Neji got a good look at her. Her tummy was nice and flat. She had beautiful curves, unlike Sakura who had no shape about her whatsoever. Her long, navy hair was now wet and wavy, hanging down her back. The light from the moon and stars illuminated beautifully off of her pale skin. She grabbed a towel that was nearby and wrapped it round her body before walking past him and exiting the gate. Neji stayed still for a while until he was sure that she was gone. He smiled before heading back towards his home.

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Hinata awoke the next morning to the sound of the birds chirping. She sat up and noticed that her window was slightly ajar. _I know I closed that window._ She yawned before crawling out of bed and heading towards the window. When she got there she noticed another piece of neatly folded origami; this time it was in the shape of a frog. She opened it and it read:

_You should know better than to be out_

_alone at night princess. By the way, you_

_sing beautifully._

_Xoxoxo_

Hinata's face went pale. _So he…she…whoever it was saw me last night?_ She smiled and held the letter towards her chest. _I sing beautifully…_She closed her eyes and started singing again. Even though that person could not hear her, she dedicated the song to whoever it was. What a wonderful way to start the day she thought, still singing happily as she closed the window and started down the stairs to breakfast.

Neji smiled to himself as he made his way up the road. He was glad that he was able to make her smile once more. He was even happier that he got a chance to hear her sing once more.

"Whoa, Neji!" Neji turned to see Lee walking towards him.

"What is it that you want Lee?" he asked sternly.

"Nothing…I just…you seem to be in a good mood," he replied nervously.

"I'm always in a good mood," he retorted.

"But…Tenten and I saw you smiling. I have…never really seen you smile before."

"Is it a crime to smile Lee?" he asked coldly.

"Well…no, but…usually when you are smiling it is because you have successfully outsmarted someone or you've beaten someone to a bloody pulp!"

"That is not the case today. If you must know why I am in such a pleasant mood, it is because I am going away for a week or two on assignment for my uncle. Now if you will excuse me, I have things to do and I am wasting time talking with you."

Neji left Lee looking confused as he continued down the road. What else can I do to make her happy he wondered? He finally decided on going back to his favorite tree until she came outside. He would think of something as the day progressed.

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Hinata came down the stairs singing happily. She didn't even notice that her father was already sitting preparing to eat.

"My, my, someone seems to be in a good mood this morning." Hinata jumped at the sound of her father's voice. She immediately turned pink before sitting on the floor across from her father. "Oh, no. Don't stop singing on my account. It's good to see hear your voice. You sound just like your mother," he replied softly.

"Uh…" She quickly began stuffing her face. She did not want to talk to her father about her good mood or anything else for that matter.

"Hinata, do you have a problem with Neji being your escort? Is there anyone else you'd rather have?" he asked. She was slightly taken back. After all, it seemed that yesterday his mind was pretty much made up.

"Uh…well…I…I guess not."

"Are you sure? I want you to be happy," he said looking at her with eyes full of concern.

"Well…I…since he is family…I guess…it's for the best…Naruto…"

"Naruto is not in the village at the moment. He is off somewhere with Master Joriya."

"Oh," she said slightly hurt. "Neji…will…be fine," she replied slowly. They continued to eat in silence, but Hinata noticed that her father kept staring at her and shaking his head. She finished up quickly before excusing herself politely.

"Oh…Oh Hinata! Just a second dear. I almost forgot to tell you. Your new friend Kilik will be visiting you today so hurry and dress quickly."

"Why…why is he coming…to…see me?" she asked nervously. Her father just laughed.

"I suppose he just wants to spend some time with you."

"But…"

"Give the guy a chance. I'm sure he just wants to get to know you better."

"Yes father," she answered glumly before heading up the stairs. Her perfect morning had just gone down the drain.

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**AN:** _-sigh- Another short chapter...Sorry guys but I am working one several stories at once. Plus, I am having so much fun writing this one that I am going to take my time with it. Anyway, tell me what you think. Flame if you want--I don't care. I have the most interesting conclusion and series of events in my head so it won't matter one way or the other. I'm not changing a thing. -giggles- Review. _


	4. Hinata's First Date

It didn't take Hinata long to get dressed. She put on her usual gray caprice with matching halter and jacket. She tied her hair back and made her way down the stairs. She was immediately greeted by Kilik and her father.

"There you are my Lady. I was beginning to think you had gone back to bed," her father said cheerfully. Hinata forced a smile as Kilik took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"How nice it is to see you again princess."

"Uh…yeah…th…thanks," she said shyly.

"So what are you two planning to do today?" her father asked.

"Well, sir if Hinata doesn't mind, I was hoping she's give me a small tour of the village. Maybe we can get ice cream or something afterwards."

"Hinata?"

"Uh…sure father." Kilik took Hinata by the hand and her face turned a bright shade of red.

"Well, you two have fun," Hiashi said happily as Kilik and Hinata left the house hand in hand.

Hinata and Kilik held hands as they walked up the road and into the market area of the village. They were both silent until Kilik started talking.

"Hinata, do you have a boyfriend?" Hinata jumped at the randomness of the question. "I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean anything by it. I was just wondering that's all," he said quickly.

"No…It's ok," she said shyly never taking her eyes off the road. "I uh…no…I do not have a…boyfriend."

"Really?" he asked quite shocked.

"Uh…" she looked at him briefly before again answering no.

"Wow. I am…quite surprised," he said softly.

"Why is…that?"

"Well…It's just…well I don't want to scare you or anything. I just can't help but to speak my mind you know."

"Uh…that's ok. I know…a few people that are the same way." She smiled briefly before looking back at the road ahead.

"Hinata, when the chunin and genin of my village told me you were beautiful, I paid them no heed. I had seen many a beautiful girls and I was clearly not interested in being your escort. Then they told me you were a princess, but still I was not interested. I had met a few so called princesses and they were nothing to brag about."

"Oh? Well…if you…don't mind me asking," she said nervously, "um…what made you want to…?"

"Come and get you?" He laughed. "One of my good friends knew how stubborn I could be sometimes so…he snuck into Lord Kazecage's office and pulled out the file that said 'Hyuga'. He pulled out the file about you and left it on my bed. When I returned to my room from my morning run, I found your file on my bed. It had a beautiful picture of you on it, except your hair was shorter. I wanted to see what you looked like in person. I have to say, that picture was beautiful but the real person is even more beautiful." Hinata's face immediately turned a deep shade of red. He lifted their hands and kissed the back of hers just as they were nearing the florist. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were staring at them curiously.

"Who are those ladies?" he asked. "They seem very interested in the two of us."

"Uh…well…" Before she could answer, Ino and Sakura made their way over to them.

"Hinata! Who's your friend?" Ino asked excitedly.

"Yeah, aren't you going to introduce us?" Sakura asked hotly, staring at Kilik.

"Well…I…"

"My name's Kilik," he said kissing the back of Ino's hand. "Pleasure to meet you both."

"Oh, yeah…my…name's…" Ino had started babbling and Sakura finished the introductions.

"Her name's Ino and I'm Sakura," she said shaking his hand. "I see you're from the Rain Village. What brings you here?" she asked.

"Oh, well I was just visiting my lovely friend here," he said smiling at Hinata.

"I see…well, if you ever need anything Ino and I will be glad to help out. See ya later!" she said grabbing a drooling Ino and pulling her back towards the florist. As Kilik and Hinata walked off, Hinata could hear Sakura and Ino talking.

"_Oh my goodness! How in the hell did she manage to get a guy that good looking?"_

"_I don't know Ino! He's not better looking than Sasuke," she said hotly._

"_If you say so, but…he's such a gentleman. Oh, what about Naruto?"_

"_What about him?"_

"_Isn't he…I thought Hinata had a thing for him?"_

"_Things change. Besides, Naruto's an idiot. Who would want him?"_

"How about some ice cream now my lady?"

"Yes, that will be great."

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"NEJI! NEJI! COME ON NOW! WHERE ARE YOU?" Neji opened his eyes to see Tenten shouting for him at the bottom of the tree.

"Up here," he replied nonchalantly.

"Oh! Good, you're here."

"What is it?"

"Your cousin's in the market area," she said grinning up at him.

"O…K…and that means what to me?" he asked dryly.

"Well…I just figured…she is your cousin. I just thought you'd be interested in finding out who her new boyfriend is." Neji jumped down from the tree and stood inches away from Tenten.

"What did you say?"

"Boyfriend. She's got a boyfriend…I suppose and boy aren't they looking cozy. They're all walking around holding hands…he's gorgeous too by the way. Let's see…short, spiky red hair and green eyes to die for! He's tall and built…sexy! Nice light brown skin. She had better hold onto him or else I might have to…"

"BYAKUGAN!" he shouted. It didn't take him long to locate Hinata and it was just as he had guessed; that boy Kilik was with her and they were sharing an ice cream cone. Neji could feel his skin burning with anger and his eyes flashed.

"Whoa! Neji…are you alright?" Tenten asked, backing away from him nervously. "I mean, I didn't figure you'd really care all that much but…" Neji put on a fake smile.

"It was nothing. I am fine…I just saw your little silly friends and kind of lost my temper. Whatever. Hinata can date whomever she wishes. I may check him out later but at the moment they seem content. Is that all?" he asked calmly.

"Yeah so imma go now. I wanna look at him some more and see what the girls think about him!"

When Tenten had left, Neji used his Byakugan to spy on them some more. They were still eating the ice cream and Hinata seemed some what happier than usual. _Why am I so jealous? I should be happy for them. _The more he watched them, the angrier he became.

"I think I'll pay them a visit," he said deviously.

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**AN:** _Okay...Almost 100 hits and no reviews. -tsk- -tsk- -tsk- Mehh...doesn't matter. I'm writing this for myself. -grins- _


	5. First Impressions

"You are quite the beauty when you smile."

"Oh…well um…" She gasped as she saw the crowd of people watching on the sly. Ino and Sakura were walking by every five minutes or so cutting those curious looks their way. Sasuke had now returned from his training with Kakashi and he was also staring curiously.

"Are you alright my Lady?" he asked.

"Uh…yeah…it's just that…well, everyone is staring so."

"It's because they can't understand why you look so beautiful. They are envious of your charms," he said grinning. "Don't mind them. Let them stare all they want. At the moment, I only have eyes for you. Here, have another taste." He put the ice cream to her mouth and she shyly licked it some more. She smiled weakly as he continued to eat and watch her.

She wondered why it had gotten so quiet all of a sudden. She looked up and noticed that all those who were staring at first, except for Sasuke, were now trying their hardest to ignore them now. She looked around and finally spotted her cousin coming up the road towards them. He was looking scary as usual and his eyes were cold and expressionless. Hinata often found herself wondering how he could be so expressionless all the time. She quickly darted her eyes to the ground as he walked by not even looking their way.

"Neji right? Do you not think it rude to walk by a lot of people and not say a word? You know, good afternoon? How are you? Good day? Didn't your village ever teach you manners?" Kilik asked with a smirk.

"Uh…Kilik…I don't…think you should…"

"What? He doesn't scare me. He walked right by you…you of all people and didn't even acknowledge your existence. Just who the hell is he supposed to be?!"

"What I do is none of your business," Neji said coldly. "And if I were you, I'd think twice before coming at me that way again." He continued to walk on past them but Kilik did not let it go.

"I guess everyone's supposed to get out of the way for the great Neji huh? Well, not me. You jumped down my throat the first time you met me about being rude. I figure a genius like you would know that you should practice what you preach if you're going to be handing out advice."

Neji stopped in his tracks but did not turn around. He was furious but no one could sense it except Hinata. She could feel his Byakugan burning and she wanted to make Kilik stop but she was too afraid.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?" Kilik asked smirking.

"I would keep my huge trap shut if I were you." Hinata looked up from the ground and saw Sasuke standing a few feet away.

"And who the hell are you?" Kilik asked frowning.

"My name is not important. I see you're from the Rain Village. I hope everyone there isn't as stupid as you are."

"What? Are you implying…?"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm telling you that you're an idiot. You remind me of someone but at least he can back up all his big talk," Sasuke replied with a smirk.

"Oh Sasuke! You're so cool!" Sakura shouted.

"Sasuke? You wouldn't happen to be the great Sasuke Uchiha would you?"

"And what if I am?"

"Oh…nothing. Just asked. Anyway, I have no problem with you but I _do_ have a problem with someone who preaches to me about being a certain way but can't even take his own advice." He was staring coldly at Neji.

"Well, I'm sorry that Neji may have rubbed you the wrong way but I'm telling you it…"

"Are you afraid of him too?" Kilik asked.

"Of course not! Sasuke isn't afraid of anybody!" Ino yelled.

"I see…Well, I don't care. I think he should apologize to me and the Lady Hinata for being so rude." Neji turned and stared at both Hinata and Kilik. Hinata's face turned red and she looked as though she were about to cry.

"Hinata, because I am in a good mood and you are my cousin, I will acknowledge your existence. I bid you a good day." He turned and started to walk off but Kilik loudly cleared his throat.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.

"Why don't you make me?" Neji replied softly.

It all happened so fast that Hinata wasn't even sure that anything did happen. Kilik ran at Neji with his kunai but just as quickly Neji met him and blocked the attack with his own kunai. A second later, Rock Lee and Shino grabbed Neji's arms and held them while Sasuke stood in front of them.

"Move out of the way!" Neji yelled while Kilik stood back smirking.

"It's best you let them hold you. I'd hate to finish you off in front of your beautiful cousin."

"That's enough!" Sasuke yelled. "Kilik, I do believe that you've worn out your welcome for the day. Go home and get your attitude in check. You're seriously messing with the wrong guy. Neji could have killed you."

"I wasn't going to kill him Sasuke. He wasn't worth the blood. I was just going to make him go into cardiac arrest then make sure he wouldn't be able to woo the women for quite a while," he answered teasingly.

"Fine I'll go but I may come back tomorrow. I've grown quite fond of the princess." Kilik turned to Hinata and kissed her hand. "You take care sweets. I'll be back to visit you soon before our trip back to my village. Make sure you keep your bloody cousin in check," he said with a wink. Kilik ran off at top speed up the road before exiting the gate of the village.

"You guys can let me go now."

They released Neji and went on about their business. Neji just stood there gathering his composure. He couldn't believe that he let that little idiot get to him. He chanced a sidelong glance at his cousin. She was sitting there staring at the ground and she was crying. Immediately Neji felt sorry for her. He had ruined her date with Mr. Perfect and even though he didn't like the guy, Hinata did seem to have enjoyed his company. He made her feel special and wanted; something he hasn't done in years. Neji swallowed his pride and sat down on the bench next to Hinata. She looked at him but briefly. He made her nervous and he could tell by the way she was slightly trembling.

"Hinata, as you know, normally I wouldn't apologize for such antics but even I know when I'm wrong. I am…if I…" Neji sighed and looked at the sky. This was harder than he thought it was going to be. Hinata must have picked up on his hesitation for she shook her head reassuringly, even though she was scared to death.

"You…don't…need to…He had it…coming I guess," she said in barely a whisper.

Neji turned and looked at her quite surprised by what she had said. She did not look at him anymore but that was ok with him. He was happy that she was able to speak her mind without falling to pieces. He was also thrilled that she had took his side despite the way he had been treating her on a daily basis. He stood up and started walking off.

"We will leave tomorrow for your trip Lady Hinata. I suggest you get plenty of rest. I will be standing outside the dojo at first light."

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**AN:** _-woot- -woot- Finally finished another chapter. I am on a role here. Bwahahaha. Review. That is all. _


	6. A Bath for Two

Hinata watched as Neji strolled away. When he was long gone, she finally let out a sigh of relief. She never thought that Kilik could be so much trouble nor did she expect Neji to react the way he did. Normally, he would have ignored Kilik and went about his merciless way but for some reason, Kilik was able to get under his skin.

"Hey Hinata! Are you alright?" Sasuke asked, coming over and sitting next to her.

"Yeah…I…suppose so," she said shyly. Sasuke was very sexy and cool. She couldn't help but to cut her eye at him every now and then. She had never been this close to him before and the fact that he was sitting inches away from her made Hinata slightly nervous. He looked so cool and calm sitting next to her. It's a wonder Sakura and Ino were head over heals for him. He turned and smiled at her.

"Sorry I didn't stop your hot headed cousin sooner," he said.

"That's…that's ok."

"Yeah, but I felt his eyes…he was going to light into that poor guy. I'd have hated to see your new boyfriend die on the first date," he said laughing.

"Oh…well…he's not…"

"SO HE'S NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND?!?" Tenten asked excitedly.

"Uh…well…not exactly."

"Tenten, can't you see that I'm trying to have a word? Damn! Shouldn't you be off somewhere chasing after Neji anyway?" he asked impatiently.

"Oh? And since when have you ever cared about the well-being of Hinata. Half the time you act as though she doesn't exist. What? Little Sakura not paying you enough attention today?"

"Oh just shut the hell up! What does Sakura have to do with this anyway?" Hinata let out a small laugh and Sasuke turned to her and smiled.

"Well, the way you string her along…" Sasuke threw a small dagger at her but she dodged it, laughing at him as she leapt off in search of her buddies. Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

"The motor mouth…She needs to learn to mind her own business. Anyway, how about I walk you home? Seems that everyone else has gone and it looks like we're going to be getting some heavy rain soon."

"Sure."

They both walked along in silence. Sasuke noticed a few things about Hinata as they were walking. For the first time, he actually got a close look of all her features. Her skin was nice and pale—a perfect match for the long, navy blue strands that were whipping in the wind. She was not at all super skinny like most of the girls in the village. She was in excellent shape but had a set of curves that made her stand out some from the other girls. He had gotten a pretty good look at her face today and noticed that her eyes were soft and radiant. He shook his head to shake the thoughts. _I must be joking. Hinata?_ He was so lost in thought that he almost ran right into the side of her house. Hinata giggled as he stopped himself just in time.

"Uh…well…um…thanks for…walking me home Sasuke."

"Oh…yeah sure. Catch you later."

Sasuke walked off cursing himself. _Why was he feeling so anxious all of a sudden? _He glanced at his watch and groaned. He was supposed to meet Sakura 20 minutes ago.

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Neji sat under his favorite tree lost in thought.

----

"_Neji, you are my favorite cousin," Hinata said lying next to Neji on the grass looking up at the sky._

"_Oh?" he laughed running a finger through her short hair. _

"_Uh, huh," she said giggling once more. He pulled a daisy out of the grass and put it behind her ear._

"_Beautiful," he said softly._

_---- _

The clouds started to rumble shaking Neji from his thoughts. Rain drops started falling heavily from the sky.

"Guess I should get home."

Neji headed down the road in no particular hurry to get home. As he was nearing Hinata's home, he spotted her father Hiashi standing outside.

"What are you doing out in this weather? You could catch a cold uncle," he said coldly.

"I'm glad I caught up with you. Why are you leaving so early?" he asked. Neji did not answer immediately. He just frowned and stared at the ground.

"I wish to escort her alone," he answered stiffly.

"And could this have anything to do with the disturbance I witnessed earlier today between you and Kilik?" he asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Could be."

"I see. So you two can't seem to get along?"

"I get along just fine uncle. It's the pretty boy who can't seem to behave himself, feeding Hinata as though she were a mere child," he spat, eyes flashing with anger.

"My Neji, I've never known you to care so much."

Neji opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. He didn't quite know how to respond. He could tell his uncle that he cared not but in reality, he cared more than his uncle could ever know.

"Would you like me to wait an extra day?"

"Yes, I would. I still need to talk with Hinata about a few things before the two of you leave."

"Is Kilik still planning to accompany us?"

"Yes. He wants to see Hinata again."

"Uncle, I am warning you now, if he crosses me the wrong way once more I'll make him feel like the scared little child that he is. I'll make him beg for mercy."

"Neji, there's no need to get so worked up. Hinata said he treated her very well today."

"Whatever. Anything else?"

"No…I guess not."

"Then I'm off."

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"Sasuke, why are you late? It's raining and now I don't wanna do anything. You know girls can't stand to get their hair wet."

"Oh, well I got caught up," he replied quickly, looking at the ground.

"Caught up? Oh, no. Tell me you weren't with Ino."

"Ino? Please! She's just as bad as you are sometimes."

"I'm choosing to ignore that. Anyway, how about we get together tomorrow sometime? You can help me with that flame jutsu."

"Yeah whatever."

She gave him a hug before running inside her house. Sasuke turned and walked off. He had no idea what Sakura had said to him. The whole while she was talking he was picturing Hinata standing there. He shook his head as the thunder rumbled louder. He needed to get Hinata off the brain and fast. He wasn't used to feeling this anxious and it could ruin his reputation if people knew he had her on the brain.

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Hinata sat on her bed and listened to the rain pour down. There were so many things going through her mind. First there was Kilik. He seemed like a great guy and did nothing but treat her like a lady all day. He had even shared his ice crème with her before doing the unthinkable by defending her in front of all of her classmates. It was very sweet and even though she was embarrassed, he made her feel special.

Then there was Sasuke. Sasuke was acting very strange all afternoon. He defended Neji of course, mainly because he was of this village but still…She supposed he didn't want anything to happen to Kilik. With Neji's superior intellect, Kilik really could have been killed today. Which leads to Neji—Why had Neji been so defensive today? She had never seen him so bothered except when they fought. Even then, it took a lot to get him riled up. The look in his eyes…there was so much anger and yet…maybe her eyes were deceiving her but she sensed a little jealously in them. She shook her head before rolling off the bed, making her way to the window. It made no sense. Why would Neji be jealous? He was a genius and he was…she couldn't help but to admit to herself that he was quite handsome. Even though he was her cousin, she had always been attracted to him a little. She looked out the window and noticed that the rain had ceased. She slipped into a swim suit and grabbed a towel before slipping out of her window.

----

----

Sasuke was lying back in the hot spring water re-thinking the events of the day when he heard the gate open. He sat up immediately and Hinata quickly ducked behind a bush.

"Oh…I…I'm sorry. I didn't…I'll go now," she said quickly.

"No, wait. You don't have to go. I'll be leaving soon and anyway, there's plenty of room for the both of us."

She hesitated for a moment before coming from behind the bush. The small light that hung above had been dimmed but even so, Sasuke could tell that she was embarrassed. She had no reason to be though. She walked pass him and sat down on the opposite side of the spring. She smiled nervously before lying back looking up into the night sky. Sasuke watched her as she started to relax a little in his presence. She sat up as to where only the top half of her body was visible in the water and Sasuke couldn't help but notice how nice her breasts looked in the small bikini top. He could just see a little of the creamy skin that was popping out of it.

Hinata must have felt his gaze for she smiled weakly before lying back in the water. Sasuke closed his eyes and thought to himself. He needed to figure out why he was seeing Hinata—shy little Hinata—in a way that he'd never imagined himself seeing her. It's not that she wasn't pretty. He'd always known that she was pretty; there weren't any ugly girls in the village from their class. They were all just slightly annoying, well…except for her. He opened his eyes and saw that she had sat back up and was standing up out of the water. He found himself wishing he could lick the water off of her steaming, wet body. He stood up as well and walked towards her.

"Uh…"

"I'm just…going to get my towel. It's behind you," he said softly.

He kept wading until he was inches in front of her. She tried to get out of his way as he leaned over her reaching for the towel but she ended up slipping. She lost her balance and her body started over the rocks to the sidewalk but Sasuke grabbed her arms before her head could hit the concrete. He pulled her up and they were now so close even the steam emanating from their bodies had no where to go.

"Thank you…for…" She started staring at the ground but Sasuke cut her off.

"It was nothing," he said softly. She had started to cry and he lifted her chin so that their lips were only an inch apart. "Why are you crying Lady Hinata?" he whispered.

She shook her head and lifted a hand to wipe her face but Sasuke stopped her with his own. When his hand touched her wet arm, he noticed how soft it was. His hand began to caress her arm as it trailed up to her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes as his hand had now made its way to her cheek. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand as he somehow became lost in her beautiful orb eyes.

"Your eyes…a man could get lost in those," he whispered softly leaning forward brushing his lips against hers.

Hinata gasped for she wasn't expecting anything and when her mouth parted slightly, Sasuke slipped in his tongue kissing her gently as he ran a finger down her spine. _What the hell am I doing?_ Sasuke quickly tore his lips from hers and they both stood there in an awkward silence. Hinata turned away so Sasuke could retrieve his towel. He dried himself off before inching away from her slowly. She did not look up at him anymore. She grabbed her towel, wrapped it around her, and they both made their way to the gate in complete silence. She turned to him and very quickly whispered good night before hurrying off towards her home. Sasuke let out a breath before cursing himself. _What the hell was I thinking?_ He walked along the path towards his house deep in thought.

"That kiss was something else," he said smiling.


	7. Afraid Hinata?

Hinata arose bright and early and began packing her things. At first light, she was fully dressed and everything was packed neatly ready to go. She took her things and made her way down the stairs. She was expecting to see Neji but instead was greeted by her father.

"Morning my Lady," he said happily.

"Uh, good morning. Where's Neji?"

"He's not coming and you two aren't leaving today."

"Huh?"

"No, I talked to him yesterday and I convinced him not to rush you off. Besides, he only has one day left before the trip."

"But…father…I have to protest. I don't think it's a good idea for…both Neji and…"

"I've already spoken with him. He'll behave himself…for your sake anyway."

"Oh…if you say so." She sat down at the table with her father as one of the servants brought out some tea.

"Hinata, I wanted to talk to you about the trip. I am strongly encouraging you to stay as long as you like. I've talked it over with Lady Sunade and she also feels it's for the best."

"But…father…I know that you feel it will do me some good to get away but…I just don't think that staying in a strange village away from home will do much for me. I'm fine…I just…"

"Hinata please…just…just promise me you'll stay at least a week."

"But…"

"Promise me dear."

"Yes father."

"Hello? Lord Hiashi?"

There was a knock outside their front door and Hinata immediately recognized it to be Kilik. Hinata groaned and put her head down on the table. She didn't have anytime to think about anything and she was really wanting some alone time. After all, Sasuke did kiss her last night and although she wasn't quite sure what it meant, she got the strangest feeling that today would not be a good day to run into him…especially with Kilik around.

"Good day master Kilik. Hinta's already dressed and ready to go. What are you two up to today?"

"Well, I thought maybe we could hang out by the stream and maybe read or swim some. I am very spontaneous so there's no telling with me Lord Hiashi," he explained bowing to her father. Hinata smiled weakly as she got up from the table and made her way to the door. Instead of a kiss on the hand, she received a peck on the cheek. She looked up nervously at her father, but he only smiled as Kilik took her by the hand and led her out the door.

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"BYAKUGAN!" _There are one, two, three birds within sixty meters of here._

He smiled as he watched three birds flutter off into the clouds. It was bright and early on a summer's morning—the perfect time to get in some range and counting practice. He was about to leave to get him some breakfast when he heard voices. He was in the middle of the forest at his usual practice area but there was a stream a few meters away through the other side of the forest shrubs.

"Byakugan!"

It did not take him long to find the source of the voices. It was Lady Hinata and she was being pulled by…Kilik. Neji cursed loudly as he watched Kilik kiss Hinata on the cheek before leaving her. It seemed as though they were setting up for a picnic_. I know how to squash this._

Neji quickly and quietly made his way through the shrubbery until he was a few feet away from a beautiful waterfall and stream. Lady Hinata's back was to a tree and she was reading a book of poems. He very quietly ran and hid behind the very tree in which she was sitting at. He used his Byakugan to watch her read her poems. That is when he discovered that she was not reading poems. Instead, she was using the book as a cover to read one of the small letters he wrote her. He smiled to himself. Even though she did not know whom the letters were from, it still meant that she thought about the 'mystery person' often.

"BYAKUGAN!" he shouted loudly. Hinata jumped at the sound of his voice and went to hide behind the tree but instead, ended up bumping into him directly thus falling to the ground in the process.

"Oh…I'm sorry…please…" she said clearly frightened. Neji looked down at her but did not say a word. Instead, he held out his hands for her to grab and helped her up.

"Lady Hinata, tell me something," he said curiously. She looked up at him but only for a second. This was the first time in years that she'd been alone with her cousin. So much has happened in between the times…some good, but mostly bad…

"Yes…cousin?" she stammered. He started towards her slowly and with each step he took forward, she took a step back until her back was against the tree. He continued to move forward slowly until he stood only a few inches away from her.

"Do I really scare you that much?" he asked. She looked up but because she was so afraid, she would not look him in the eye.

"I see," he replied softly. "If you can not even look me in the eye then I must be a terribly frightening sight. Wouldn't you agree Hinata?" he asked softly, inching closer to her.

"I…"

Before she could respond, he lifted her chin with his hand forcing her to look him in the eye. He could tell that she was still afraid but she stared him down determined not to look weak. A really strong north wind blew, forcing strands of Hinata's hair in her face. Neji softened his expression a little as he reached up and slowly moved the strands of hair out of her face lightly, brushing her cheek in the process. She stiffened a little, closing her eyes at his touch. He took one finger and ran it down the side of her cheekbone and under her chin once more before she opened her eyes.

For a split second it was as though she had no fear of him whatsoever. She reached up and pulled a strand of hair out of his face as well. She started caressing his cheek but he grabbed her wrist lightly, pulling her arm down to her side before stepping even closer to her. He was now so close that he could feel her breath on his chest.

"You do not have to fear me princess," he said softly. "I will never raise my hands to harm you ever again." He leaned forward and was about to kiss her when a voice interrupted them.

"LADY HINATA! WHERE ARE YOU DARLING?" Neji cursed before backing away from her. "HINATA? HINA…Oh, there you are!" he said making his way through the scrubs. He ran over to her and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Are you alright my Lady?" he asked frantically. She nodded feebly before cutting her eyes at Neji, who was staring at them furiously. "Oh…I see," he said flatly, looking at Neji. "He didn't bother you did he?" he asked curiously, never taking his eyes off of him.

"No…"

"Good. I don't want to have to hurt the poor fellow."

_Remember your promise to your uncle…_

"You're not worth my time today," he replied coldly. "Good day Lady Hinata." And with that he was off.

* * *

**AN: **_-sigh- I'm not really sure when the next update will be. I have been so caught up writing this story that I have neglected to update my _**Inuyasha**_ story. But don't you worry. If time permits, I'll have another update tomorrow sometime. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed. -Yay- I shall continue to update this one everytime I get some free time._


	8. A Shirker's Advice

Sasuke did not sleep a wink last night for his mind was constantly reverting back to the kiss he gave to Hinata. He kept thinking about how sexy she looked in her bathing suit and how soft her body was up next to his. _Why haven't I ever noticed it before?_ He cursed himself for thinking such thoughts as he rolled out of bed. It was still fairly early but he was hoping maybe breakfast and a walk around the village would clear his head.

He quickly dressed, ate some breakfast, and headed out the door for a walk around the village. To his surprise, there were several people out early including some of his friends.

"Hey Sasuke, what are you doing up so early?" Shikamaru asked sleepily.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Oh, man, my dad told me that I should quit sleeping all morning. He gave a whole speech about how chunin level shinobi should act. What a drag. He's one to talk; his ass is still in bed."

"Sorry for you. As for me, I couldn't sleep. Might as well get up and do something."

"Yeah, I hear ya."

"So um…" Sasuke looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Have you seen Sakura or Ino around?"

"Uh…no. I don't think…wait…Ino's working in her mom's shop today. Why? What's up?"

"Uh…it's nothing really. I just…don't really feel like dealing with either of them right now."

"Huh? Are you ok? When doesn't the great Sasuke Uchiha want women falling all over him, especially two of the sexiest girls in the village?"

"I just don't ok. So uh…have you seen…Hinata anywhere?" Shikamaru stared at him curiously before bursting out laughing.

"Yeah, I've seen her around this morning, but I want an explanation about this one. You don't want to be bothered by Sakura and Ino, but you're looking for Hinata."

"Shut up! Damn! And whoever said I was actually looking to see her. I was just…wondering. That's all," he said angrily kicking a nearby pebble.

"Whatever and even if you are looking to talk with her, she's currently occupied at the moment anyway."

"Occupied? What do you…?"

"Over there. They're coming this way." Sasuke turned to look and saw Hinata and Kilik coming up the road. They were holding hands and looked very happy. As they got closer, Hinata looked up and met Sasuke's glare briefly before turning red. Sasuke turned away and stared at the ground. He could feel his flesh turning red also. Hinata and Kilik walked on by without a word to either Shikamaru or Sasuke.

"What was that all about?"

"What? You know Kilik. He's probably still upset about yesterday," Sasuke mumbled.

"That's not what I meant playboy and you know it."

"I don't know what you're…"

"Yeah, ok. I saw Hinata look at you and when she did her faced turned redder than ever. Your face is red too so that means there's something you should be telling me right about now."

"It's nothing. It's no big deal."

"Come on Sasuke. Who am I gonna tell? You know how much I hate drama. It's such a drag."

"Let's…take a walk." They started off down the road and kept going until they reached the bridge near the hot spring. Sasuke stared at the gate and all the memories of last night started to resurface.

"Well? Aren't you going to tell me what's going on between you and Hinata?"

"Like I said, it's nothing. I just…did something stupid and now we're both embarrassed by it."

"I need a bit more info than that. I know I'm a genius and everything but damn Sasuke, help me out here."

"Alright. Well, I ran into Hinata at the hot spring last night…or something like that. I was already there, you know, relaxing or whatever. She came in looking…but nothing happened…she got up to leave and I got up to dry myself off. I…reached for my towel and she slipped. I caught her just in time before her head could hit the sidewalk. Afterwards, she apologized and well…I know I shouldn't have but you have to understand the power of a woman's eyes."

"Uh…ok…so you were awkwardly having a dip in the hot spring together _alone_?"

"Yeah."

"She was looking hot and you just couldn't keep your eyes off of her. Right?"

"Something like that but…"

"Get on with it!"

"I…I kissed her."

"Come again?"

"I said I kissed her dammit! I kissed her, fully, passionately, on the lips and you know what? I liked it. I liked it so much that I couldn't sleep last night."

"Wow."

"Yeah, and to top it off, I can remember every detail of the kiss and how soft her skin was and…but it was nothing," he added quickly. "Just...nothing."

"Then why are you trying to see her again?"

"I need to make sure she realizes that nothing can come from it."

"I'm sure she knew that a long time ago. I mean seriously, when have you ever paid her any attention? Besides, she has Kilik who seems to be all over her. Then there's Neji. He may look like he's unconcerned but I assure you he'd frown upon you and Hinata. I've seen the way he looks at her lately."

"Huh? What do mean by that? They're cousins."

"Yeah, but still…I think he'd be a little protective of her. I spotted him one day just watching her. He sat there and watched her for hours. Man. It was freaky."

"Yeah, well, not…that…I'm interested in her…I have Ino…or Sakura…but if I were I'm not afraid of Neji."

"If you say so. Neji could kill you without even breaking a sweat."

"I can beat him! I've never had the privilege of fighting him ya loser," he said smirking. "I'd love to try out my sharingan on him. Maybe I can learn that rotation move I heard about from that other loser Naruto."

"No, bad idea. Trust me—you don't want to. He almost killed both Hinata and Naruto."

"Yeah…but you actually think he _cares_ about Hinata? You did just say he tried to kill her once."

"Yeah, but I think Naruto made him feel bad or something. Anyways, since you're not interested then what does it matter?"

"Yeah, I s'pose you right. Anyway let's get outta here. Sakura will be looking for me shortly. There's some jutsu or something I promised to teach her."

"You sound thrilled."

"I am. Can't you tell?"

"You need to get a steady girlfriend."

"I think not."

"Whatever." They were about to leave the bridge when Shikamaru nudged Sasuke in the rib.

"Hey! What the hell?"

Sasuke looked up to see Neji coming their way and he did not look happy at all. He walked right by the both of them but did not mutter a hello or anything. When he was long gone, Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief.

"Man, I'm telling you, Neji is not one to mess with, especially today. He looks pissed! I wonder what has him in such a bad mood. Normally he'd at least nod or something but damn…oh well. At least I know it wasn't me." Sasuke stared in Neji's direction and frowned. He was also starting to wonder why the genius was so upset.

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**AN:** _Finally finished another chapter. It's short but I have a weird system when I'm writing so just bear with me. The chapters will get longer sooner or later. _


	9. Through Being Nice

"_Neji, is it…is it wrong to like you?"_

"_Huh? What do you mean princess?"_

"_I mean, I like you a lot," she said smiling up at him._

"_Oh, well I like you a lot too. I don't suppose there's anything wrong with that."_

"_Good," she said pulling him to the floor with her. He laughed and started tickling her tummy with a feather._

_--_

_-- _

Neji walked past Sasuke and Shikamaru angrily. He did not stop to talk for he was in no mood. His thoughts kept reverberating back to Hinata and how he enjoyed the few minutes alone that he had with her. She was scared…nervous and yet…she caressed his cheek, just like she used to long ago with no fear in her at all. It was almost as though she enjoyed it. Back then, he was too young to put much into thought into a gesture like that…or was he?

He finally made his way back into the market where he immediately spotted Hinata and Kilik. They were standing in front of the florist smelling the different roses. _I should turn away and go back to my favorite tree…_

"Hey Neji!" Kilik looked up and had spotted him coming into the market area. Neji just frowned, ignoring his hello as he turned and walked in the opposite direction towards the forest.

"Neji! Can't you see how polite I'm being? Maybe if you were a bit nicer to people, you wouldn't be so alone all the time." Neji stopped in his tracks and turned towards Kilik. He was grinning and had most of the nearby shinobi watching intently.

"My cousin is nice to everyone yet she's alone all the time. I do not see how my being nice will affect my popularity. I am alone most of the time because I choose to be alone."

"Oh, I see. So…that also explains why none of the ladies in the village will give you the time of day?"

"You need to make sure you get your facts straight before you come at me that way."

"So you were dumped?"

"Your insolence is going to be your downfall."

"You don't say?"

"Try me?" Neji could feel his face turning red and it wasn't like him to show his anger. The fact that Kilik was crushing on his cousin wasn't helping his anger any at all. He wanted nothing more than to snatch Hinata up and take her away from the arrogant show-offy ninja Kilik, but he could not.

"You know, I was hoping you'd say that," he replied softly. He backed away from Hinata and stood facing Neji. They were a couple of feet apart but Kilik was excellent at long ranged attacks.

"Um…Kilik…please don't fight my cousin." Neji stared at his cousin in shock. It was the first time she'd really spoken out against Kilik. Neji smiled at Hinata before turning his attention back to Kilik.

"You heard the lady. You might want to take her advice."

"I might not." Kilik quickly tossed four kunai knives at Neji but he easily sidestepped and blocked them all.

"You're going to have to do better than that ameture," he said hotly running at Kilik, his Byakugan face clearly ready. _Where do I begin? Aha…_ "You like to throw things right? How about I fix it where you can't throw anything for quite a while?!" Kilik met Neji blow for blow, his taijutsu skills almost flawless.

"Ki…KILIK NO!" Hinata shouted but it was too late. Neji grabbed his right arm and tossed him to the ground. Kilik quickly got up but not before receiving eight quick blows to the arm. Kilik backed away quickly, laughing out loud.

"You're not so tough. I blocked every one of your moves and your quick little blows to arm…my sister hits harder than you." Kilik ran at Neji once more, but Hinata quickly got between them.

"Please…please stop!" she cried softly.

"Oh, come on Hinata! Let me finish him! I'm not trying to kill him, but he gets on my nerves…thinks he's so tough!" he smirked. Hinata looked down at Kilik's left arm and let out a small cry. "What's wrong sweets? Are you…?" He stopped short when he saw what she was looking at. The sleeve of his left arm was almost covered in blood.

"I…I tried to tell you…"

"What the hell? You didn't even hurt me!" he yelled angrily. Neji smiled, staring at his loser opponent. Hinata lifted up Kilik's sleeve to reveal eight little holes in his arm. They were all aligned neatly on his arm and for the moment, had stopped bleeding. Kilik stared at his arm, wide-eyed and confused.

"What did you…? What kind of jutsu is this? I watched you very closely and not one time did you use a hand sign."

"I would tell you but I'm not obliged to. Neither is the princess Hinata. Next time you pick a fight with me, I will not hesitate to get your right arm. I'll pick you apart little by little until you are nothing more than a no-talent shinobi." He turned and proceeded to walk away.

"COME BACK HERE YOU ASSHOLE! I'LL SHOW YOU!" Kilik raised his arms and tried to perform a clone jutsu but it would not work properly. "My chakra…what is…?"

"Come now. Let's…let's just go. No more fighting ok?" Hinata said, grabbing Kilik's right hand and pulling him towards the forest.

----

----

Sasuke and Shikamaru watched as Neji did a number on Kilik's arm.

"Whoa! What the hell was that?" Sasuke asked slightly amazed.

"It's some technique that only the Hyuga's possess. They use their own chakra to plug up their opponent's chakra points. With his Byakugan, he sees each chakra point in your body. That's why that guy's jutsu wouldn't work. He lost the ability to flow chakra through his left arm. If Neji wanted to, he could have blocked every point in his body then that guy would have been toast."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, Naruto was lucky since he has two sets of chakra. Neji plugged up all his holes that time in mere seconds without breaking a sweat, but Naruto had surge of red, snake like chakra that helped him win his match. Anybody else facing Neji, with the exception of Gaara, would have been through dealing."

Sasuke frowned upon hearing this bit of information. Maybe it _was_ a good idea to leave Hinata alone…that is, if he could help it.


	10. Neji's Thoughts

"Hinata, what's the deal with your cousin?" Kilik asked as they were making their way to the hot spring.

"What…do you mean?"

"Well, he's so…how do I put this? He's a rude, bothersome, hot head who thinks he's a genius. To be frank, I think he's the biggest asshole I've ever met." Hinata sighed and shook her head. "What? You don't think so?" he asked staring at her curiously.

"Uh…well…he's not…never mind that. We're here now. Get in there and clean yourself up. The warm water will keep you from getting infected."

"Alright," he said grinning. He placed a kiss on her cheek before entering the gate and undressing. He stepped out of his long, grey sweats to reveal some grey boxers underneath. Then he painfully wormed his way out of his red tank to reveal a very nice, tan body. He winked at Hinata before emerging himself into the fresh hot water. Hinata smiled as she watched Kilik relax in the spring.

"You know, there's plenty of room for the both of you," a voice whispered from behind. Hinata quickly turned around to see Sasuke standing few inches in front of her. He was looking great as usual, and was wearing the oddest expression on his face; it was though he was actually glad to see her. Hinata proceeded to turn around nervously, but Sasuke stopped her.

"Don't worry…he's not watching," he whispered inching even closer to her.

"Um…so what…brings you here?" she asked nervously as he continued to stare at her.

"I have been looking for you. Just my luck to show up right when your cousin was making quick work of the motor mouth over there," he grinned.

"Oh…you saw that?"

"Yeah, and I'm kind of glad that I did. It's somewhat of a motivation not to push Neji's buttons."

"Oh, yeah…good idea," she answered staring at the ground.

"But…" he said with a grin, "I haven't the pleasure of facing him in combat. I'd love to test my Sharingan out against him. Tell me Lady Hinata," he whispered now standing face to face with her, "what do you think would piss him off the most?"

"Uh…"

"You can look me in the eye…I swear not to steal your jutsu…or your heart," he whispered. She looked up at him and just froze. He was eyeing her with that same hunger she sensed in him earlier.

"I…well, I suppose that…Kilik…" Sasuke ran a finger down her cheekbone and she closed her eyes, once again, at his touch.

"Tell me something," he whispered running a finger over her lips, "why is it that I want to kiss you once more?" There was a splash of water and Sasuke backed away. Hinata turned to see a very sexy Kilik, dripping wet, emerge from the water.

"Uchiha right? What are you doing here?" he asked drying himself off.

"I live here don't I?"

"Whoa! Hey, calm down man. I meant no harm. Geez, you're starting to sound like that Neji," he replied nonchalantly.

"Yeah, well if that's the case, I see nothing wrong with that. He made quick work of you today didn't he?" he asked grinning. Kilik swore under his breath before turning to face Sasuke.

"I could have finished him off," he said coldly. "I chose not to because he's Hinata's cousin."

"So? What's that got to do with…?"

"Hinata's very special to me and I'll do anything in the world for her. She's everything a man could ever hope for and more. Although," he added curtly, "based on what I've heard about you, you wouldn't know anything about that now would you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke said eyeing him angrily.

"Oh, well, never mind then. Don't worry about it. I'm just…" he laughed.

"Just what?" Sasuke persisted angrily.

"Nothing." Kilik put back on his tank then grabbed his sweats before exiting the gate. "Are you ready to go princess?" he asked sweetly. Hinata glanced at Sasuke before nodding. "Hopefully the next time we meet, it'll be on better terms Uchiha." Sasuke watched as Kilik and Hinata made their way across the bridge towards her home, both hand in hand.

---------

---

---------

Neji smiled to himself as he made his way back towards the market place. He used his Byakugan to check so he was certain that Kilik and Hinata were gone. _Impudent fool._ Neji's thoughts were interrupted by Sasuke's voice.

"Hey Neji!"

"Yes?"

"A word?" Neji frowned as he made his way towards Sasuke.

"What is it that you want? I have things to do."

"Hey, calm down. I just wanted to ask you about that Kilik fellow."

"Yeah, what about him?" he asked frowning.

"Well, Shikamaru and I saw what happened between the two of you earlier today. What was that all about?"

"Nothing important. I got tired of his arrogance that is all. I didn't hurt him much. In fact, I was easy on him since I am pretty sure he was only showing off in front of my prin…in front of the Lady Hinata."

"_That_ was easy?"

"I could have fixed it where he'd be coughing up blood for quite a while."

"Just as you did Hinata a while back right?" Sasuke asked curiously. Neji frowned and glared at Sasuke with the evilest of looks.

"Unless you want to end up like Kilik I suggest you never mention that to me again."

"Oh? Am I supposed to be afraid of you? I have you to know that I'm not," he said with a smirk.

"I didn't say that you were, but I am not in the best of moods today. I'm telling you just as I told Kilik, the next person who picks a fight with me, I will not hesitate to hurt them."

"Fine. I wasn't trying to pick a fight with you anyway. When I get ready to fight you, it will be for other reasons beside your bad mood."

"As you wish."

"Besides, according to Kilik, he only went easy on you because of Lady Hinata. He seems to care about her a lot."

"So it seems."

"You would let your cousin end up with a pathetic show off like him?" he asked incredulously.

"Who my cousin dates does not concern me."

"Are you…sure about this?" Neji raised his eyebrow at Sasuke.

"Why do you care who she dates and what does any of it have to do with me?"

"Nothing. I just…don't know about this Kilik fellow that's all."

"Yeah, well I don't particularly care too much for him either but I haven't seen him do anything to harm Lady Hinata. If that should happen then _that _is where I will draw the line," he said coldly.

Sasuke watched as Neji strolled off about his business. His plan had worked. _So according to Neji, he does not care who Hinata dates. _Sasuke smiled to himself. He wasn't planning on actually dating Hinata but he needed to be sure…just in case. He had almost kissed her again earlier and that was not good.

* * *

**AN: **_The chapters will probably get longer at this point. The first couple of chapters were to introduce you to how I am portraying the characters and give you a general idea of what's to come in the future. If you like this story and you are a big Inuyasha fan, then you should read my _**Inuyasha**_ one. Review! -grins-_


	11. A Steamy Confrontation

Hinata lay on her bed looking up at the ceiling. The day was now turning to night and she was plagued with thoughts of things that happened recently. She had decided to stay inside after that incident with Kilik and Neji. Not to mention she didn't need to run into Sasuke. For some reason, he was being…unusual…or maybe he was just being his usual playboy self. Whatever it was, it was freaking her out. Not that she didn't like Sasuke; He was hot! But…Hinata jumped up suddenly. She heard a wrap at her window. She grabbed her kunai knife and slowly headed towards the window. She lifted it up only to have a piece of origami, this time in the shape of a heart, fall onto the window sill. She smiled as she closed the window and headed back towards the bed. She sat down and quickly unfolded the piece of origami and read its contents.

_Princess,_

_I was sorry to see you saddened today. I_

_saw the fight between your cousin and that_

_new kid. Even though your cousin beat him,_

_I'm sure he had his reasons. I bet he cares _

_more than you think princess. Sleep well _

_and remember, you are never alone._

She smiled as she folded the letter and placed it in her top drawer._ So he…or she had been watching earlier…_Hinata lay back onto the bed staring at the ceiling wondering who her secret watcher could be. She hadn't noticed anyone strange lurking about earlier. With all these thoughts running through her head, there was no way she'd be able to sleep anytime soon. She sighed and turned her attention back to the window. It was the last night she'd have in the leaf village. She may as well make the most of it. She got up off the bed and looked through her drawer for her favorite white swim suit. Then she grabbed a towel and her kunai knives before heading out the door.

----------------

-------

----------------

Neji laid back into the steaming waters to relax his aching muscles. He had been target practicing for hours and his muscles were sore from all of the tossing and chakra control practicing. He soon heard footsteps approaching the hot spring.

"Byakugan!" he whispered softly.

He gasped when he saw that it was the Lady Hinata. _Why is she out alone?_ Neji emerged himself completely in the water as Hinata quickly made her way into the gate. Seconds later she was stepping in the warm water walking towards him. He quickly moved to the side under the water as she walked by him. He smiled to himself, quite pleased with himself that she did not detect his presence. When she finally sat down and began to relax, he slowly peeked his head out from under the water meeting a shocked and frightened Hinata. She continued to stare at him, not moving a muscle. She was sure that she was in trouble now.

"Ne…Neji. Wha…what are you…doing here?" she asked softly, eyes wide with shock.

"If you must know princess, my body was aching from all of my target practicing. I came here because I wished to relax my body for a while. Is that alright with you?" he asked.

"Yes," she said in barely a whisper. Neji frowned at her as she looked away and stared into the water. _She's still afraid of me._ Neji stood up, and the steaming water fell in one big splash over his lean, chiseled body. Hinata looked up to see his body coming towards her. When he was standing over her like an ominous cloud, he looked down at her.

"Stand up Lady Hinata."

Obediently, she did as she was told and stood to face her towering cousin. His eyes were unreadable and she could detect no emotion in them whatsoever. The fact that he was only and inch or two away from her did nothing for her nerves.

"Ye…yes cousin?" she whispered nervously.

"Hinata, look at me." She slowly looked up and met his eyes. This time…this time she could see something…something different, but she wasn't quite sure what. "Remember what I said earlier princess?" he asked softly. His deep, usually cruel voice sounded almost normal and full of compassion.

"About…what?"

"I told you to never fear me again. I meant what I said. These hands," he held them up, "will never be used to hurt you in any way ever again," he said roughly. "Do you understand me?"

Hinata nodded her head fearfully as tears began to stream down her face. She wasn't quite sure why she was crying. It could be that she was still awfully frightened of her cousin…or it could have been the fact that he was standing inches away from her and she was thinking of the past that they used to share…

---

"_Neji! You found me again! How is it that you keep finding me?" Neji just smiled at his cousin. He wasn't about to reveal that he used the Byakugan._

"_Oh…just lucky princess," he said grinning. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him._

"_I love you big cousin," she said happily. Neji just smiled and ran his fingers through her hair._

_--- _

"Hinata?"

Neji placed a finger under her chin and raised her head so that she was now forced to look him in the eye. She was crying and Neji did not like it. In fact, it was hurting him on the inside to see her cry like that. He placed both hands on her shoulders and ran them down her arm slowly. She shivered at his touch as she closed her eyes.

"Keep them closed," he whispered.

He ran a finger down her cheek and then up again before playing with a strand of her hair.

"My hands," he whispered, "have been trained to only bring pleasure to you my princess. Open your eyes."

When she opened her eyes, she could truly see for the first time in a long time, the hunger in Neji's eyes. For some reason, she was drawn to him, if only for that few minutes. She raised her hand and touched Neji lightly on the right side of his face. When he did not push her away, she continued to caress his face, running her hand over his ear lightly. He closed his eyes at her touch and she pulled away out of embarrassment and looked down.

"Hinata."

She looked up only to meet his lips on hers. At first, it was just a light brush but then he began to nibble at her lower lip. She let out a soft cry as his tongue played with her lips teasingly before entering her mouth. Her knees buckled but she still lost balance anyway, almost falling back into the water. Before that could happen, she was forced to wrap her arms around her cousin's waist, holding tightly as he continued to explore her mouth with his tongue. His hand wandered down her side, caressing her thigh before working its way back up over her rear and up her back. Hinata let out another soft cry and Neji quickly tore his lips away from hers. _What am I doing?_ He cursed softly before turning and walking away from her.

"Hinata…be careful out here tonight. You never know who could be watching."

* * *

**AN:** _Bleh, I was going to make this chapter longer but I decided against it. Go figure:P Anyway, I'll try to update agin soon. I need to work on my Inuyasha one some:P Please review...That is all folks!  
_


	12. Burried Desires Unleashed

_What just happened?_ Hinata sat back down in the hot spring water clearly shaken from head to toe. _That was my cousin…the one who hates my guts_…And yet, she wasn't so sure that she meant what she said. She closed her eyes and thought about what had just happened. _Was it…possible that he actually…_She sighed and was about to relax in the water when someone else called out to her.

"Hi…Hinata? Is that you?"

"Sakura?" The person came closer and she saw that it was in fact, Sakura. Sakura sat down in the spring a few feet in front of her and let out a huge sigh.

"Um…what's…are you ok?" Hinata asked nervously. _Surely, she couldn't possibly…_

"Oh, yeah, I guess," she said softly.

"Um…we can…talk about it…if you want." She didn't really want to talk about it. After all, she was pretty sure she knew what was wrong with Sakura.

"Oh, alright. It's Sasuke," she mumbled.

"Um…what about…Sasuke?"

"I don't know…He's been acting…strange lately."

"Uh…no…offense Sakura, but…"

"Yeah, I know. He's always been this sort of moody person, but today…today he seemed weirder than usual. He was paying Ino more attention than me."

"Um…are they…?"

"HE BETTER NOT BE SEEING THAT SLUT PIG INO!" she shouted. "But anyway…I just….he seems so, I don't know, aloof…It's as though he's here but not really. Something is weighing heavy on his mind and I need to know what it is."

"Oh…well, if anybody can do it, its you."

"No…no I don't think so," she said thoughtfully. "Hey…HEY! I just got an idea. Why don't YOU see what's up with him?"

"Huh? M…me? Bu…But why?"

"I hear he's going to be traveling with you, Neji, and Kilik tomorrow. So…while your cousin and Neji are doing the male bonding thing, you two can talk or whatever."

"But…Sakura, I really think you ought to…"

"Please? Pretty please? Do this one thing for me…I promise to…I'll pay you back someday." Sakura kept staring at Hinata pleadingly.

"Well…what would I…you know this isn't my thing and…"

"Just be yourself…Do…Hell, just try anything. It doesn't matter. I just need to know where he and I stand. I mean, we're not technically a couple but still…Anyway, I gotta run. Thanks for the talk! I needed it!"

"But…but Sakura…"

Hinata sighed before slumping back into the water. Talk to Sasuke? She couldn't do that? How could she when…She stood up and started wading through the water towards the gate. She was no longer in the mood to chill at the hot spring. She was about to step out when a pair of hands grabbed her from behind, one hand covering her mouth, the other holding her stomach.

"You know, if you keep coming out here at night you're going to draw attention to yourself," he whispered in her ear. She relaxed a little after realizing it was just Sasuke and he let her go.

"What are you…?"

"Hiding from Sakura. I heard what she said. She wants you to be her little spy huh?"

"How long have you…?"

"I got here shortly after Neji left...well, I'm assuming he was here. I saw him leaving this direction as I was sneaking this way. I just hid in the back and kept quiet. A few minutes later I heard you talking to Sakura."

"Oh…yeah," she replied softly. She could feel her face burning. _Had he been any sooner and he would have seen Neji…_

"So, what is it that you wish to know?" he whispered, inching closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close to him. His hands started caressing her stomach.

"Uh…well…" she stopped talking for her throat knotted up.

"I'll tell you anything you wanna know Lady Hinata," he whispered. He rested his head on her shoulder, still caressing her stomach.

"I…well…she wants to know…if…she thinks…you and Ino…"

"I'm not dating Ino," he whispered, now rubbing his nose against her neck. She did a quick intake of breath, her muscles tensing up.

"Relax Hinata," Sasuke whispered his lips lightly brushing her shoulder. "Anything else you wish to know?"

"Uh…Sakura…she's…afraid…"

"Afraid that I'm seeing someone else? Again, she is wrong…or right in more ways than she thought possible."

"Huh?"

"Well at the moment, I am seeing a very beautiful girl and right now she has me on fire," he said softly.

"Well…I uh…" His lips start to brush against her neck and then they turn to soft nibbles. She let out a small cry as his hands moved up her tummy and to her breast, lightly squeezing each one.

"Sas…Sasuke?" she whispered. He answered her soft cry between small kisses.

"You…are…driving…me…crazy," he murmured. He squeezed her breasts once more before running a hand down her side and on her right thigh.

"Oh, Sas…Sasuke…" she whispered.

He ran his hand down her inner thigh area, lightly brushing her womanhood. Her body started to shake—out of pleasure and nervousness at his touch. He continued to caress that area, feeling her wetness through her soaked bikini. She let out a small whimper when he slipped his finger inside her bottoms, caressing her lips in a steady motion. He could feel her body grow weak and she wiggled at his touch. He bit her neck once more before slipping his finger inside of her. She lost all control and went limp as he moved in and out of her at a slow steady pace.

"Sas…Sasuke…please…don't…"

But the more she protested the more he wanted to give her pleasure. He picked up the pace and soon her body began to tremble violently, the orgasm hitting her hard. Sasuke held onto her as she let out a small cry, and leaned back onto him, exhausted.

"Tell me princess, are you feeling better now?" he said softly, kissing her neck once more.

She did not answer, for she was too embarrassed. She could not believe what had just happened. "No need to be embarrassed Hinata. It was either that, or…let's just say I had to do something. I was about to lose my mind." He kissed her once more on the neck before turning her around to face him. She did not want to look him in the eye, and her face was slightly flushed. He lifted her chin up and stared into her beautiful orb eyes.

"You are so beautiful Hinata. I can't believe I never…saw it before. I want you Hinata. I have tried and tried to get you out of my system but I can't."

"But Sasuke…Sakura…"

"To hell with Sakura. I want you…" She looked down but he forced her head back up staring her down. "Hinata, I don't know what's happening to me, but I know that I am starting to care for you a whole lot. I…I want you. The thought of seeing you with someone…with Kilik…I am jealous and I never get jealous. Tomorrow's trip is going to be hard on me. Kilik…I know he's your…and then there's Neji, but Hinata…"

"No, Sasuke, you know this can't…"

"I'll do my best to keep my distance princess, but I'm making no promises."

"But Neji…"

"He does not scare me." He leaned forward and kissed her lips slowly and passionately. "You have a good night Hinata. I look forward to seeing you in the morning."

* * *

**AN:** _Chapter was shorter than I thought it was going to be...Oh well. Sorry you guys. It's been a rough week. Anyway, I hope this wasn't too MA, but I've seen worse than this so...I may have been pushing it just a little. -shrugs- Anyway, I may or may not continue this story. Depends on whether or not I get 2 or 3 good reviews...or flames. Bwahahahaha I'll update again on Friday. Enjoy! _


	13. The Journey Begins

Hinata lay in bed for almost an hour before she could get to sleep. She kept thinking of Neji and Sasuke; Sasuke more so than Neji.

"_Relax Hinata…"_

"_Oh, Sasuke…"_

Hinata smiled to herself. No one had ever touched her the way Sasuke did that night. He had made her feel like a _real_ woman. She could still almost feel his fingers inside of her, brining her pleasure that was unreal. She sighed before turning to lie on her stomach. She wanted more of Sasuke…more of his attention and more of his touch. Tonight was the first time ever that she felt like a real woman. _No, that's not fair. Kilik makes me feel like a woman too. He's smart, funny, strong, gorgeous…He isn't afraid of anyone. Not even Neji…_Hinata frowned at the thought of her cousin. She had forgotten all about their encounter earlier that evening.

"_My hands have been trained to only bring pleasure to you my princess."_

He looked…She was almost positive that she saw some caring in his eyes. She could remember caressing his face, and watching him react to her touch. Her cousin…Neji…He looked so sexy and vulnerable…

"No, not Neji. He'll never care for me as I do for him." She rolled over once more and finally drifted off to sleep.

---

---

"_Oh, Neji! I just…I'm sorry about…"_

"_It's okay Lady Hinata. I know you meant well."_

"_But Neji, I do…I like you like you. Is that…is that really a bad thing?"_

"_Well…no, I don't think so." She planted a kiss on his lips and watched as Neji turned red._

"_PRINCESS?! NEJI!?! WHERE ARE YOU TWO?" Hiashi yelled. Neji quickly grabbed Hinata by the arm and ran out the back door._

"_Uh…princess, if they find us…"_

"_What? Why can't we play together more often?" she cried._

_---_

_--- _

"Hinata?" Hinata opened her eyes slowly to find one of their servants shaking her lightly. "Um…sorry princess but your father sent me to wake you up. Your trip begins today," she whispered nervously.

"No, it's fine," she answered groggily sitting up in bed.

"I'll leave you now princess. Your things are already on their way to Belize. Kilik's father had some transporter ninja to come and get them."

She bowed slowly before turning to leave. Hinata let out a groan before quickly washing up and getting dressed. She decided to wear her ninja gear since she had no idea what to expect. She put on a light brown sports bra and then a black fishnet top over it. She decided to wear some loose fitting khaki Capri pants so that she can run easily if she needed to. She tied her haid back into a pony before grabbing her kunai and heading down stairs. She was immediatelt greeted by her father and then…

"Neji!" she said shocked. She was not expecting him to be waiting inside for her. He lowered his head into a slight bow before saying good morning. A second later, Kilik came around the corner and bowed.

"Good morning beautiful." He kissed the back of her hand before turning to Neji. "Shall we?" he asked with a smirk. Neji only frowned before walking out the door.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, father?"

"I am very proud of you for going through with this. When you return from your trip, I hope that you will have found some sort of new beam on life."

"Yes father." He pulled her into a hug before watching her head out the door.

Neji stood to the side and watched as his cousin came out the door. She was looking very beautiful, as usual. Her long, flowing hair was now in a pony tail but it did nothing but bring out her eyes—the eyes only a Hyuga could inherit. Neji tore his eyes away from her as Kilik pulled Hinata into a friendly kiss. She smiled weakly before looking at the ground.

"So are we ready to get going?" Kilik asked.

"I know you were not thinking about leaving me?" Neji turned to see Sasuke sitting up in the big oak tree near their home. _When did he get here?_ Neji frowned. He was so distracted by Hinata that he failed to hear Sasuke sneak up on them. _I've got to do better_.

"Actually, I think he was," Neji said with a slight smile.

"I am not in the mood for you today Neji," Kilik said staring at him teasingly. "I have big things planned for my Lady Hinata and I am not ready to let you ruin my good mood." Neji stared at him coldly before turning away.

"Whatever. We're all here so let's get a move on. How are we traveling?" Sasuke asked dryly.

"Through the trees," Kilik answered. "I'm sure it'll be fun. I'll start us out with Hinata by my side. I'm sure you two boys will have no trouble keeping up."

"Why you son-of-a…" Neji said starting after Kilik, but Sasuke grabbed his arm.

"Let it go," Sasuke whispered to Neji. "Remember why we're here—to protect Hinata. Let's just get this over with. When we get to the village we can separate and do whatever, but right now, let's not fight. He's not even worth it."

"Fine."

"Temper. Temper Neji old boy," Kilik said smugly.

"When this is all over, you are mine," Neji said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, if you say so. Hinata? Shall we my princess?"

She took his hand and off they started in a complicated path, sprinting through the trees out of Konoha. Sasuke gave Neji another pleading look before they both started after Hinata and Kilik. _Your day is coming soon Kilik. THAT we can be sure of._


	14. Konoha Rivals Emerge

Sasuke and Neji lagged behind a few hundred meters just to be on the safe side. When escorting, it was always a good idea to have some one lag behind so that they could watch for any signs of danger.

"Hey Sasuke, you know you can catch up to them. I don't really need your eyes seeing as I have the Byakugan. I can look out for us. As for Hinata, I'm sure she can use hers as well."

"Uh…well I don't really like this Kilik fellow," he responded ducking a tree branch. He glided to the other side and crossed paths with Neji.

"I see."

"You don't like him either."

"Yes, but I have my reasons. What's yours?" They both ducked another tree branch before crossing paths and switching sides.

"I just don't. There's something about him…his arrogance for starters," Sasuke replied with a smirk.

"He's no more arrogant than you."

"Oh really? I think he's worse."

"Maybe."

"You don't think so?" Sasuke was starting to get pissed.

"I am not going to argue with you over something this trivial. Let's drop the issue and catch up to them. Quite frankly I am ready to get there so I can find a place to train in peace."

"Whatever." They glared at each other once more before picking up speed and gliding gracefully from branch to branch.

"It seems that they are catching up to us?"

"What? Oh…oh yeah," Hinata replied chancing a longing glance behind her. She saw both Neji and Sasuke gliding gracefully through the forest. They both looked slightly annoyed with one another. Hinata let out a sigh before turning her attention back to their destination.

"We're almost there princess. Let's dismount and walk from here." He grabbed her hand and they both dropped down onto a dirt path.

"Hey, what's the deal?" Sasuke asked, clearly annoyed by the sudden break.

"We're almost here. We have to walk the rest of the way. There are no more trees within the next forty meters or so. What's your hurry anyway?" Kilik asked staring Sasuke down. Sasuke only glared back before his eyes rolled towards Hinata. She could feel his eyes upon her but did not dare face him.

"No hurry. Just was wondering that's all. Anyway, are we going to stand here all day or what? Let's get going. I have things to do."

--

--

A few minutes later and they were hopping across a stream that led to a waterfall.

"Behind here," Kilik murmured. They followed Kilik along a short path that led behind the waterfall thus the secret entrance into the Rain Village.

"KILIK!"

"Hey bro!" A tall and skinny red head approached Kilik and slapped him on the back. He was dressed as an ANBU ninja without the mask, but was clearly sporting a rain head band on his left arm. "Is this the…?"

"Yes, Hinata I want you to meet my brother Kendrik."

"It's very nice to meet you princess."

Hinata blushed when Kendrik bowed his head slowly and winked at her. He was very handsome and she could clearly see where Kilik got his good looks. Instead of short spiky hair, he had long red hair that hung straight down his back. His eyes were an olive green and he had tattoos all over his right arm. Kendrik caught her staring and winked once more before turning his attention back to his brother.

"Father needs to see you when you get a chance."

"Oh, well I guess…"

"Ahem." Kendrik frowned and turned his attention to the direction in which the voice had come from.

"Who the hell are…?" he started but Neji cut him off immediately.

"I supposed your brother lacks the intelligence to know whether or not he is being rude. Since he did not bother to introduce us then we will get you aquianted with us. I am the cousin of the Lady Hinata known as Neji Hyuga."

"And I am Sasuke," he replied stepping from behind Neji. Neji shot him an approving look before turning his attention to Hinata.

"Princess I will be on my way now. You know what to do if you need me, then again, I am sure Sasuke can…"

"No way I'm hanging around this bunch of losers." He started to walk off towards the market area alongside Neji but a cold voice caught his attention.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to see Kendrik staring at him coldly.

"Are you…talking to me?" Sasuke asked slowly.

"Yes, I am. If I am not mistaken, I heard you call us a bunch of losers."

"You may be mistaken, then again you may not," he replied coolly. "Not that you can do anything about it." Neji stopped in his tracks and began to listen. Just in case, he readied his Byakugan.

"Hey, hey Kendrik, don't mind him," he said clearly trying to hold back a laugh. "I'm sure he's just a bit cranky after the traveling. You know how that goes bro." Kendrik continued to stare coldly at Sasuke but then he smiled.

"I'm going to be on my way. It was nice meeting all of you," he said calmly.

"Hey, wait bro. You need to show them around."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Sasuke replied. "I can find my way around on my own."

"Suit yourself," Kilik said quickly, "but Hinata goes with my brother. After all, she IS the guest of honor."

"Whatever." Kendrik smiled and grabbed Hinata's hand.

"Follow me princess. I shall give you the tour of your dreams."

"Uh…right," she said. She glanced nervously at Sasuke who cut her a lustful look. She blushed and turned away as Kendrik urged her forward. Kilik smirked at Sasuke before running off in the opposite direction.

"Thanks for making us feel welcome into the village Sasuke," Neji said coldly.

"What's it to you?"

"It's everything to me when it concerns my cousin."

"Since when?" Neji turned and faced Sasuke, Byakugan at the ready.

"Don't you _dare_ question my feelings towards my cousin ever again. She is my blood and I will do whatever it takes to protect her."

"Since when?" he asked sharingan eyes blazing red. "Since Naruto…" He didn't get to finish the statement for Neji quickly tossed a kunai at him making Sasuke quickly jump onto a near by fruit stand. Sasuke retaliated by throwing his own kunai but Neji caught it and tossed it back.

"STOP! PLEASE…NEJI…DON'T…"

Neji turned to see Hinata and Kendrik rushing forward. Hinata had tears in her eyes and he immediately felt guilty. Before Neji could react, Sasuke landed a right across his face knocking him into the bread stand behind him. Kendrik grabbed Sasuke and pulled him away from Neji.

"Why you son-of-a-bitch!" Neji screamed. "You will pay dearly for that. BYAKUGAN!"

"No…" Hinata rushed forward, tears streaming down her face and stood in front of Neji. "No…please cousin, don't…hurt him," she cried faintly.

Neji stared down at his cousin, temper still flaring. He was about to push her aside when she threw her arms around him, crying into his chest. He immediately dropped his other kunai and returned the embrace. Her body felt so good up next to his and he wanted to stay like that for awhile. He could smell the sweet jasmine in her hair and he wanted more…_What am I doing?_ He quickly let go of Hinata and could feel his face burning. _How long have I been holding her?_ He looked up to see Sasuke glaring angrily at him and Kendrik had a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

"I'll be going now. Sorry Hinata. I will stay out of everybody's way for awhile. Alert me when you are ready to leave for Konoha."

Neji turned and sped off back towards the stream and around the waterfall. He needed to get away and think about what just happened.

* * *

**AN:** _Sorry about the long wait but school calls. LOL Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. It's kind of short but it's all I can spare for now. I have another story that needs updating as well. -grins- Review! _


	15. Cooldown and Some Advice

"O…k…so what's going on here?" Kendrik asked staring blatantly at Sasuke.

"Nothing. Just had a disagreement that's all," he snapped.

"Whoa. No need to catch an attitude with me hot shot. I mean, I already sensed your bad attitude from the start but damn…"

"Don't you start with me dammit! You should be getting onto that other hotheaded loser."

"I was about to do that but is it safe to leave you here all alone? Can you control yourself long enough for me to…?"

"Are you trying to be funny?" Sasuke asked glaring at Kendrik. His sharingan eyes flashed and Kendrik took a step back. "So…are you afraid or something?" Sasuke asked smirking at his opponent. Kendrik smiled before letting out a haughty laugh. "What's so damn funny?" Sasuke asked frowning.

"Oh nothing. On the contrary, I am thrilled. You see, I take it you must be Sasuke Uchiha."

"Whatever gave you that idea? Was it the sign on my shirt or the eyes?" he asked teasingly.

"Doesn't matter. Oh how I'd love to test my skills against the great Sasuke Uchiha…then again, I hear you're nothing compared to that brother of yours."

"Kendrik…" Hinata started fearfully. Kendrik looked at Hinata and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Well Sasuke, I am going to be off now. Go explore the village and let off some steam. Miss Hinata, I'll be seeing you around."

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"You asked to see me father?" Kilik asked bowing his head low. Lord Kazecage smiled and nodded his head.

"Kilik, how was your trip? Did everyone make it here ok?"

"Uh…yes father."

"I see. So the princess…?"

"She is just fine father. I left her with Kendrik. She did not come alone though. I am pretty sure Lord Hiashi does not suspect anything but he had two other leaf chunin to accompany her."

"Who are these young gentlemen?" he asked as he puffed on his pipe near the window of his office.

"Well father, he uh…he sent her cousin Neji Hyuga and…"

"Neji Hyuga?"

"Ye…yes father."

"I take it he won't be much trouble. Have you tested your skills against him?" he asked turning to face his son. He placed the pipe on the window seal before walking towards his son.

"Well…"

"Stand up Kilik! You're not in trouble."

"Yes, father."

"Now continue."

"Right! We only had a small dispute and we fought a little. We didn't hurt each other much. He placed a few scratches on me and I did the same to him. He's quick but I believe I may be a hair quicker than he is."

"Alright. Good. So what about the next gentlemen?"

"Uh…the Uchiha. Well, I don't know much about…"

"Sasuke Uchiha?" his father asked staring at his son intently.

"Yes sir."

"Well, now. This is something else. You haven't fought him yet have you?"

"No sir but he almost got into a tuffle with Kendrik a while ago."

"I see. Well it looks like we're going to have to be careful. You just keep on doing what you do best. Has she any interest in you at all Kilik?"

"Yes, father."

"Well then that's wonderful. I think things are about to get very interesting. Get those three here so that I can meet them. You are dismissed."

"Yes, father."

_Lord Hiashi, does that mean you did not trust me? You were right not to trust me but sending only the Uchiha and another weak and pathetic Hyuga? Big mistake._

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"So you take the side of that asshole cousin of yours?" Sasuke asked glaring at Hinata.

"Sasuke, please. I didn't mean…"

"Yeah, whatever. Why do you put up with him? And why do you care so much what he thinks? He started with me you know."

"I don't want either of you to hurt yourselves."

"What about Kendrik? I could have put him in his place in no time flat."

"I…know but we just got here. I have to stay here at least a week. Don't make it where I am going to have to constantly watch over you and Neji."

"You don't have to watch me beautiful," he replied softening his expression. He walked forward and pulled Hinata into a hug.

"Just please…try not to fight with anyone."

"Alright alright. I'll do it for you but Neji…he really needs to check himself. He's not the baddest thing around. That would be me," he said laughing. Hinata smiled up at him before resting her head on his chest.

"Hinata?" Hinata pushed away from Sasuke at the sound of Kilik's voice. She turned and faced him feeling her face turn hot.

"Yes?"

"You and Sasuke need to come with me," he replied staring at Sasuke. Sasuke raised an eyebrow before answering.

"Why do we need to come with you? I thought you said it as at our leisure to tour the village on our own."

"Yes, but Lord Kazecage wishes to welcome his guests. He wants to see you all."

"What about Neji?" Hinata asked nervously.

"He's on his way. My brother went to fetch him. Now if you will both please follow me."

"Whatever."

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Neji stood on the other side of the stream staring at the sky. "What do you want Kendrik?" Neji asked.

"Whoa! How did you…? There's just no way you heard me," he replied shocked.

"Never mind that. What do you want with me? In case you didn't know, I am not here to make friends. I am here to watch over my cousin. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Oh ok. Sorry for the intrusion but I just needed to tell you that you and Sasuke are going to have to pick and choose another place to settle your problems. We can't have the two of you tearing up the village. We're not a rich little village like Konoha."

"Very well then. I will do the honorable thing and apologize for making a mess. Sasuke was asking for it. Just so you know I was getting onto him about his attitude towards you and your brother."

"Guess I should thank you then."

"No need. Anything else?"

"Uh…not really. Hinata will be staying at the home of lord Kazecage. You and Sasuke will be staying in one of the guest houses near our home. I hope that is alright."

"Very well. Long as I am not too far from her then it will do."

"Well whenever you're ready I will escort you all to meet Lord Kazecage. He requests a meeting with all of you as guests to our village."

"I am ready now." Neji turned to face Kendrik and bowed his head politely. Kendrik did the same.

"Alright then. Follow me. Hinata is probably already on her way there with Sasuke."

"Please do not mention that arrogant show off," Neji said frowning.

"As you wish."

* * *

**AN:** _Bleh, been a long week. Hope you enjoy the chapter. I will describe the village more in the next chapter or so. I really couldn't find a spot to describe the huts and things but you'll get a clear picture soon. _


	16. Enter! Lord Kazecage

Kilik led Sasuke and Hinata up a mountain full of stairs that led to a huge tower behind another waterfall.

"Is it necessary to live so far away from the village?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, Lord Kazecage has had many attempts on his life. We figured that if the assassin had such a long way to go to get to him—not to mention security is extra tight, then they would try less often."

_Attempt on his life? I wonder…_Sasuke frowned to himself. There was something not quite right.

"Lady Hinata, you're awfully quiet sweetie," Kilik said, turning to grab her hand. Sasuke frowned and turned away as Kilik led Hinata away from him. They were now at the top of the spiral tower.

"Wow. This place goes on forever," Hinata replied shyly.

"Oh well, I see it as a day's workout. Right this way." He led them through a door at the top of the tower. On the other side of the door was a bridge that led them across another waterfall.

"I am starting to wonder why this village is called the Land of Rain. Why not waterfalls?" Sasuke asked coolly.

"Because the sprinkles of water that emit from the waterfall are like raindrops," Hinata replied. Kilik nodded at her and they continued on to the other side of the bridge. There was another door at the end and Kilik stopped.

"This is the home of Lord Kazecage." Both Sasuke and Hinata nodded as they followed Kilik inside.

---

---

When they entered, they noticed that the inside was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside. There were two huge bookshelves on the left and right sides of the room with two huge windows near each one. There was a huge desk in one corner of the room and a fire place in the far back area of the room. Even though it was summer time, the heat was flaring from the fireplace. That was because the waterfalls made it cooler than it really was.

A tall, older gentleman was standing in the middle of the room on a large green rug. He had red hair that was slightly graying. His eyes were olive green, but unlike Kendrik's they were cold and icy looking, much like Neji. _Speaking of Neji…_Hinata looked around the room to see Neji standing next to Kendrik. His eyes were closed and he seemed to not have a care in the world. Hinata turned her attention the older gentleman approaching them. Everyone in the room bowed their heads out of respect before facing the old man.

"Why, it's so good of you all to come! Welcome to my village. Princess Hinata, I am overjoyed that you decided to come along and stay. Hiashi told me that you were very hesitant about coming." He smiled down at her before turning to Kilik.

"Kilik, you make sure no one and I mean no one gets out of line around the princess. Do you understand me?" he asked sternly.

"Yes, father," he replied, bowing his head lower. Neji opened his eyes and frowned towards Kilik. _He never mentioned the Kazacage was his father. I wonder what else he's keeping from us._

"Miss Hinata, I should be bowing to you," he said sweetly, lowering his head.

"Uh…no…no Lord Kazecage sir. That won't be…"

"Oh nonsense! You are a guest and a very special one in our village. I expect everyone to show you the same respect you have shown me today. And I lead by example," he said with another small bow.

"Thanks," Hinata replied shyly. Neji frowned before interrupting them.

"So what is it that you want with Sasuke and me?" he asked sternly. He was not buying the whole 'welcoming' act and the fact that Kilik failed to mention that the Kazacage was his father only heightened Neji's suspicions. Sasuke eyes met Neji's and he immediately understood. He too was wondering what this was all about and at the moment, he was willing to put his hostilities aside to make sure Hinata was going to be safe.

"So you must be Neji Hyuga." _There's no mistaking the cold, almost cruel eyes…_

"That I am," Neji said nodding curtly. "Why are we here? It seems to me that you are only interested in the well-being of my cousin. If that is the case, then why send for Sasuke and me? We could be exploring the village, learning the territory so that we can better watch over Princess Hinata." The older man let out a small chuckle.

"Oh, come now Neji. Yes, it's true that I have the up most concern for the princess. I have made it my top priority to make sure she's safe. On the other hand, I also care for your well being. It's just that," he replied, turning away from them and walking back towards the window, "I figured great ninja from Konoha should be able to take care of themselves." He smiled grimly at Neji before Sasuke spoke up.

"Great ninja from Konoha huh? I see we have a reputation."

"Well, who could ever forget the ninja that fought in the first Great War between the lands? Then you faced that monster Orochimaru and came out on top once again. I hear that even when the village was at its very lowest, you still somehow managed to come out on top. That takes skill."

"Father, you told me to remind you about the fiesta," Kendrik interrupted. "It's getting late and the villagers are already starting to gather."

"Oh, right. Well we decided to throw a big fiesta for you all."

"Excuse me for sounding a bit rude and slightly ungrateful, but is all this really necessary?" Neji asked coldly.

"The fiesta is not just for you guys. Since Kilik has come of age, it is our annual Fiesta of Essence. This is where all the single young ladies and gents come and dance the night away. It's supposed to be like a masquerade but some people don't always wear the masks," Kendrik explained.

"So does that mean…you're engaged or married?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, no. I never found anyone I could actually even think about marrying," Kendrik replied haughtily. "But it's all in good fun. Plus, it's an easy way to make friends."

"Miss Hinata, you're another guest of honor."

"Huh?" Hinata stood up straight and chanced a nervous glance at Neji. He looked as if he was ready to explode. "Why?"

"You're…I mean…Kilik? You haven't asked her yet?" Kendrik asked. "If you're not planning on asking her then…"

"Uh…I was…never mind," he mumbled. He walked forward and stood in front of Hinata, bowing his head humbly. "Lady Hinata? Will you be my date for this event?" She looked around at Sasuke but he was facing the wall, with his arms crossed. She looked over at Neji, but his eyes were closed. She couldn't really tell what was going on in his head so she smiled sweetly and nodded her head. Kilik smiled and kissed her hand before making his way back in line.

"Well, unless you have anymore questions or concerns, you are dismissed." They all bowed politely and started filing out of the room. Neji, on the other hand lagged behind.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"I do not know what's going on around here but I intend to find out. If I were you, I'd make sure that I don't. Hell will reign upon you and the village if I find out something bad is going on. That you can be sure of."

"Oh?" the Kazecage responded raising an eyebrow. "Not very trusting are you? Just what I expected from you Hyuga. Don't you worry. There's nothing going on here…well there is but it's not bad. In fact, you'll find out soon enough." Neji frowned before exiting the room.

_Oh, Neji…I don't think you're going to like what I've planned. _


	17. Suspicions Rise

Kilik and Hinata walked hand in hand as Kilik walked her through the village towards the guest house. As they walked down the path, they passed many shops and stands. They could see and hear the villagers scurrying about. They had been walking for several minutes and it seemed as though they were getting farther and farther away from the manor of the kazecage.

"Um…Kilik, why am I staying so far away from the…?"

"Oh don't you worry sweetie," he replied. "Neji and Sasuke will be staying in the house next to yours."

"But…you mean I am staying in a house all…alone?" she squeaked.

"Why of course! I mean, sure there will be guards and servants to look after you and do whatever you wish, but my father felt it best that you stay alone. Some of the other ladies in the village might feel threatened by your presence. I'm not saying that they'd try to hurt you or anything but, you never know. After all, you are royalty my lady."

"Why…can't I just stay with you and your family?" she asked nervously.

"You could, but my father has many reasons for this. For starters, he holds secret village meetings at the house. It's not that we don't trust you but there are things discussed there that concern the well being of the village."

"That's understandable."

"Yeah, there's that and…the fact that he doesn't trust me or my brother," he smirked.

"Oh?" she said, eyeing him curiously.

"Hinata, you are very beautiful. For you to stay with us and your dwelling only a few doors down from mine, there's no telling what I might be tempted to do. My brother's no saint either, which is why he's not married."

Hinata said nothing but continued to walk in silence, taking in the scenery. It was now getting close to sunset and the sky was just beautiful. The sky was all shades or orange and purple, hypnotizing anyone who looked up at it. The air was sharp and crisp, causing her banes to whip across her face. Hinata closed her eyes taking it all in. _Maybe…maybe this won't be so bad after all._

"Hinata?"

"Oh…sorry Kilik," Hinata said, quickly apologizing for not paying attention.

"No, it's quite alright. The sky," he said looking up, "it really is beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"I have to say though, it pales in comparison to you," he said smiling down at her. Hinata could feel her face flush as he nodded and they continued to move along once more.

"Hinata, I hope you aren't too angry with me," Kendrik voiced softly, breaking the awkward silence.

"Huh? Why would I be mad at you?"

"Well…I just…asking you to be my date on such short notice. I feel so bad Hinata," he replied softly. He turned to her and grabbed both her hands, looking down at them.

"Hey, it's really ok. I've got to…get out sometime you know otherwise I'd have made this trip for nothing." She smiled as Kilik kissed the back of both her hands.

"Well, I am so grateful that you've forgiven me. Once we turn this corner, we will be at your new home."

They walked a few feet farther, passing another waterfall before turning a corner near a book store and walking across a bridge. As they crossed the bridge, passing another waterfall of course, they could see a huge home come into view. It was a two story Venetian looking home. It was surrounded by water and there were two small waterfalls on each side of it. One was emitting steam as if it was…

"A hot spring. You can shower inside the house or relax in the hot spring outside." Hinata was too awestruck to speak. She was too busy taking it all in. She was about protest when something caught her eye. There was no bridge to the house.

"Um…Kilik, is it just me or…there's no bridge…"

"Yeah, I know which makes this house special. The only way in is by doing a special water jutsu only known by the members of this village."

"Oh…wow."

"As you can see, you'll be well protected," he said smiling at her.

"But, this house is so big. It's almost bigger than my father's house," she said casually. "I don't know if…"

"Don't worry princess," he said softly. "You're here on vacation so enjoy yourself. I'll have you to know that this house is rarely used. Now we must hurry so that I can give you a small tour before it's time for the fiesta. Since we are the honorees, we need to be on time," he laughed.

"Okay."

"Alright. Here goes." Kilik put his palms together and closed his eyes, focusing his chakra. "WATER STONE JUTSU!" he shouted.

Immediately the water surrounding the home started to bubble up. Hinata watched as the water started to circulate, making small world pools that turned themselves into stones. Kilik pretended to slice the air horizontally and the stones mimicked his movements, spreading apart and then on his orders, lining up in front of the house, making a small stone walk-way across the boiling water. Hinata just stood there amazed.

"That was…incredible!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you my lady," he grinned. "Now let's hurry across. The stones are not hot but the water, well, let's just say it will be in your best interest not to fall in." He took her hand and led her across the water and into the Venetian styled house.

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Neji and Sasuke walked along in silence, both lost in thought. The sun was now setting and the villagers were steady closing their shops and hurrying people along chattering about the upcoming fiesta. Sasuke was the first to break the intensive silence.

"Hey Neji, I suppose you are wondering the same thing about Kilik."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. The fact that he failed to mention who his father was is no mistake."

"Yeah, and Kendrik didn't think to mention it either. As for this fiesta, I have a bad feeling about it." Neji and Sasuke both stopped for someone was following them.

"Kendrik, what is it that you wish to see us about?" _Damn it. I didn't hear him._

"You two should be following Kilik to Hinata's. Your rooms are in the guest house next to hers."

"Thank you Kendrik."

"Oh and if you wish to attend the fiesta, remember it's a masquerade. I'm pretty sure you haven't anthing to wear so there's a shop that sells masks and things a block from here," he replied with a curt nod. "I'll be seeing you then."

"Yeah, whatever," Sasuke replied frowning as his opponent left without a sound. "I don't really feel like going to this damn masquerade. It's a waste of my time."

"I do not feel up to it either, but if Hinata is going with that arrogant show off, I have to go and keep an eye on him. I do not trust him and I need to find out what his intentions are," Neji said, his voice cracking revealing the anger that he was trying to desperately to mask. As Neji used his Byakugan to find Hinata, Sasuke thought about Kilik. _I have a feeling I know what he is up to, but why?_

"I found them," Neji said moment later. "I also found the shop. Let's journey there first before making our way to the guest house." Sasuke nodded and they both sped off into the growing darkness of the night.

---

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---

Kendrik walked along back towards his home lost in thought. He had heard what the two from Konoha were discussing and it was starting to bother him. Another thing that was bothering him was Neji. How was it that Neji was able to know who he was without even turning around?

"I'll find out soon enough," he said aloud.

"Find out what?" Kendrik could feel his face turning pale as the sound of the voice behind him sent chills down his spine. _What is he doing here?_ "Oh Kendrik…" the voice sung casually, mockingly. Kendrik turned around and immediately dropped to his knees.

"Y…ye..yes Lord Orochimaru. I'm….so sorry for…"

"Oh come now Kendrik. Stop that silly stammering. It doesn't become you at all. Are you that frightened of me?" Kendrik did not move for he really was too afraid. _Father, what have you gotten us into?_

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**AN:**_ Will update again soon. Thanks for all your comments and reviews. I really enjoy them: This chapter was dedicated to _**tranquilwriter**_ because she took a chance and read my story before anyone else and left me encouraging reviews. THANK YOU! Thank you all for sticking with me. Just a little side note--if you like weird HP pairings, then read my new Snape/Hermione story when I get it posted. Bwahahaha That is all. _


	18. Shopping

When Hinata walked into the house her jaw dropped. The house was decorated in all white and navy blue. Upon entering the front door, she was immediately standing in a huge living room with navy carpet and white Chinese rugs. There was a small circular table made of ice in front of a long, navy sofa that was covered in star-shaped pillows. On both sides of it were two straight chairs with Hidden Rain designs on them, both also made of ice. Hinata noticed that the carpet was dry despite the ice sculptured furniture.

"Kilik? Why…"

"The ice? Well, it was made using our knowledge of certain jutsus and so it won't wet the floor…nor will it melt."

"Wow. That's so cool."

"This way princess." They walked forward past the living room and up a small flight of stairs. At the top, was a huge statue of the kazecage. Next to the statue were two huge doors on the left and the right, made of the same ice. "You will sleep in the room on the right. The room on the left was decorated for a male. You could stay there if you want but I warn you that the restroom might not…"

"No, I'll stay where you want," she replied smiling up at him. He nodded and opened the door to her room. Inside was huge queen sized bed. The bed was covered nicely in navy sheets with matching heart-shaped pillows. The bed was covered with a huge white and navy canopy made of silk.

"Wow. How lovely," Hinata whispered. At the foot of the bed was a white, polar bear rug. The carpet in the room was also white as well as the bean bags and decorative pillows that were scattered round the room. The one big window in the room was draped beautifully with white curtains. There was also two ice sculptured bed side tables that held beautiful ice candleholders shaped as waterfalls. Both were lit by navy blue candles.

"You like it?"

"Oh I love it," Hinata said excitedly.

"Well, if you look in the closet, you will find your clothing for the evening. It's a masquerade so I hope you will enjoy it. I'll be back to get you in an hour and we'll go together alright?" She nodded her head as he kissed her hand and started towards the door. "Oh and there are two guards stationed outside the house. No one can get in here without your permission." And with that he was off.

---

---

---

"So tell me Kendrik, who did Hiashi send to escort the Lady Hinata? Lord Hiashi is no fool so I am certain he did not send Hinata off alone?" Orochimaru leaned up against the nearby oak tree and smiled down at fearful Kendrik. It always amused him to see people cower in fear of him. He brushed a long strand of hair out of his face as he waited for Kendrik to answer.

"Well Lord Orochimaru he se…sent two others," Kendrik stammered.

"Hmmm?"

"Uh…the Uchiha and…"

"Did you say Uchiha? As in Sasuke Uchiha?" Orochimaru's eyes flashed with excitement as Kendrik looked up and nodded. He let out a small, maniacal laugh and Kendrik shuddered a little.

"Oh this is just perfect," he said unable to hold back his excitement. "Who else did he send Kendrik?"

"Uh…I think he said his name was Hyuga…Neji my lord." Orochimaru frowned as he stood up straight.

"Neji huh? Now that's interesting," he said softly. "I fear he's going to be a pain…but I'm sure you can take care of that…right _Kendrik_?" he sung mockingly.

"Uh…ye…yes my lord," he said quickly.

"Very well then."

Orochimaru looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. He could hear the sounds of the pathetic villagers preparing to celebrate and have a good time. _Stupid fools. They have no idea what's in store for them._ He laughed as he turned to leave.

"By the way Kendrik, tell the princess to save a dance for me."

"Huh?"

"I can't let you and your brother have all the fun can I? I feel like dancing." Orochimaru laughed as he disappeared into the mist. When Kendrik was sure Orochimaru was gone he let out a huge sigh of relief. He had been holding his breath for some time now. Orochimaru had that effect on everyone.

"I must speak with father," he whispered, running off into the night.

* * *

-----

-----

Neji and Sasuke stopped at a nearby costume shop to find suitable clothing for the night. The store looked small on the outside but inside was a different story. There were shelves filled with colorful masks and accessories. There were also wooden racks and closets filled with colorful garments for a fiesta. They were browsing the different racks when a voice stopped them.

"Can I help you two with something?" They turned to see a pretty young girl, probably the same age as them, standing in front of them. She had long, crinkly hair that was a deep red color, much like Kilik's. She was slightly thin, but had a nice set of curves anyway. Her eyes were dark brown and she giggled when neither chose to reply.

"O…k…so you two aren't very talkative I see." She put her hands on her hips and walked off. Sasuke and Neji both shrugged before walking in opposite directions, looking for something to wear.

Sasuke started looking through a couple of boxes that had masks in them. _I need Hinata to recognize me._ After digging for several seconds, he finally found one that suited his tastes. Neji on the other hand, didn't seem to be having much luck.

"All of these outfits and not one to suit me," he said out loud.

"Maybe you're just looking in the wrong place." He turned to see that girl again, smirking at him. "How about you let me help you this time instead of being so stubborn," she challenged.

"If you insist," he replied with a smirk. She walked in front of him and he could easily smell her perfume. It smelled of fresh jasmine and rose, two smells that could drive any man insane. He shook his head and watched her go through racks searching for something to suit him.

"When you came through the door, I knew the perfect look for you," she said. "Ah, here it is." She pulled out some funny looking robes and Neji frowned.

"What is _that_?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," she laughed, "I can totally see you as a duke or some kind of royalty so I thought this would be perfect for you." She held up the robes so he could see them properly and he laughed. "What's so funny?" she asked, now clearly annoyed with him.

"It's funny that you actually expect me to wear that. That thing is horrendous."

"Ok. Fine. Forgive me for trying to be helpful. You didn't seem like the type who would be so difficult about a silly little costume party. I tell you what, that attitude of yours…forget that I said anything about royalty. How about you become some dark lord or something? How about you put on a mask and pretend to be Orochimaru's helper or…"

"Never mention that name around us." The girl jumped at the sound of Sasuke's voice. She frowned before letting out a small laugh.

"So the name frightens you I see."

"Not really, but he has caused our village many troubles in the past. We'd rather not hear his name spoken," Neji replied coolly.

"Right." She looked down to see Sasuke's hands full. "At least one of you got your head on straight. You can pay for your things over there. My grandmother will check you out." Sasuke thanked the girl before walking away. She sighed and turned to Neji. "Look, just let me grab something for you so that I can help close the shop. The fiesta will start soon and I need to get home and change. I can't go looking and smelling like this," she complained, rolling her eyes at him.

"If you ask me, you smell just fine to me." _Shit. Did I say that out loud?_ She stared at him curiously before smiling.

"So you'll cooperate?"

"Whatever. I am in a bit of a hurry too so just find me something other than those ghastly robes." She smiled before turning and walking off. She returned five minutes later with a large brown bag.

"What's this?"

"Just take it," she said thrusting the bag at him.

"Can I at least see what I am about to pay for?"

"No. It's already been taken care of. Call it a gift." She winked before walking off. Neji stood there debating whether or not to fuss more but Sasuke called out to him.

"You ready?"

"Yes. Let's be off now. We've wasted enough time as it is."

* * *

**AN:** _I love masquerades! Uh...yeah. That was totally random. Hope you're enjoying the story and I'll update again when I can. Toodles! _


	19. Masquerade Part I

Soon as Kilik left, Hinata dashed to the closet. She couldn't wait to see what they had picked for her to wear to the fiesta. When she opened the closet, to her surprise, all of her belongings had been put up for her. All of her shirts and things were hanging neatly in the closet. Way in the back, she spotted something that she did not bring with her. She pulled it out and stared in awe. It was a beautiful golden gown fit for a queen. There was gold and silver trim around the bell of the dress and the v-neck was lined with silver lace. She slowly took the dress off the hanger and the mask fell to the ground. She picked it up and smiled. _This is really beautiful_. She grabbed a towel off the top shelf of the closet before heading towards the restroom to shower.

Thirty minutes later Hinata was dressed and ready to go. She decided to wear her hair down for the evening. It made her look slightly better with the mask on. She started down the stairs and was immediately greeted by a bowing Kilik. He was looking very nice as well. He was dressed in what looked like a golden suit of armor. He was wearing a small, golden mask like a robin and his short read hair was more spiked than usual. On his side he carried a small kitana.

"My, my you look like a real princess. But I suppose you would since that's what you are." He smiled and kissed her hand before hooking his arm onto hers, leading her out the door.

---

---

---

Sasuke and Neji arrived at the smaller guest house and both frowned. Both of them were worried about Hinata staying in such a huge house all alone, but that wasn't the worse of it. Since they did not know how to get into the house, they had no way of actually checking on Hinata. They both decided to confront Kendrik or Kilik about it at the fiesta. Twenty minutes later both Sasuke and Neji were dressed and ready to go. When Sasuke saw what Neji was wearing he couldn't help but to let out a laugh.

"I'm sorry Neji," Sasuke said as he received an ugly glare from Neji, "But it's so…not you but at the same time you actually pull that look off."

"I can't think of anything to say about you except the fact that you really didn't go out of your way to hide your identity." He was right of course. Sasuke had on a long, dark red poncho that was made of fine silk and a black Zorro type mask. The mask was lined with red sequins making him look flashy. He hadn't done anything to his hair and anyone from the leaf village would easily recognize him.

"Yeah well why should I hide my identity?"

"I did not say you had to. I was just pointing that out. Anyway, let's go. I have a funny feeling about this fiesta."

"Yeah me too." They both nodded and headed out the door.

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Kendrik had quickly dressed and was on his way to his father's room when he stopped at the door. He heard voices coming from inside and did not wish to interrupt. He put his ear to the door and listened.

"_I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL!" his father shouted._

"_Oh come now Jai. I'm not going to ruin your little party. I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing."_

"_Then why come to the event? What if…what if you are spotted?" his father stammered._

"_I am one of the legendary sanin. You underestimate me old man. No one is going to see me unless I wish it." Actually I am counting on it he thought. Orochimaru laughed. _

"_I just…"_

"_Don't worry you old fool. And don't even think about getting in my way. If you do I'll destroy you and your entire village."_

_---_

_--- _

_Oh no…what has my father gotten us into?_ Kendrik was about to turn and leave when the door of his father's office suddenly opened up.

"Son?"

"Father…I…I wanted to talk with you about something."

"Well what is it?" he asked impatiently.

"I…saw…"

"Yes?"

"WHY IS OROCHIMARU HERE IN THE VILLAGE? YOU SWORE TO ME THAT…"

"I don't know why he's here," his father snapped.

"But…"

"We continue with the plan as follows alright? ALRIGHT?!"

"Yes, sir," Kendrik mumbled.

"And son…don't you screw things up tonight! Now go and get to your post!"

"Yes sir."

_Damn that Orochimaru…he had better not screw me over…_

* * *

_---_

_--- _

Sasuke and Neji walked along the path towards the village square. As they got closer to the square, the music got louder and louder.

"I guess we're going to the right place." Minutes later they were surrounded by people laughing and dancing. Neji spotted a couple behind a ramen stand making out. He shook his head and started weaving through the crowed, eyes peeled for Hinata. Sasuke was right behind him doing the same.

"I don't see her anywhere," Neji said minutes later.

"Me neither. I don't see those two idiots either."

"That's strange," Neji said frowning. "They should be here already. Now is the time we split up."

A couple of children ran past them carry balloons and throwing rice. Another song had started to play and people were pairing up, heading towards the square to dance. Neji looked towards the square and noticed that a stage was up front. It was decorated beautifully with different colored balloons and streamers. There were also four chairs; two huge chairs between two smaller ones. _How strange? _

"Sasuke…"

"Yeah, I noticed. I didn't know the kazecage was married."

"Or maybe it's a guest of honor."

"I don't know but we're going to find out soon enough. In the meantime, I'm going over to left side of the square. I'll browse a few shops and keep my eyes peeled."

"Alright. I'll hang out here and I'll use my Byakugan occasionally to see if I can spot any of our humble hosts." Sasuke laughed at the sarcasm in Neji's voice as he headed off.

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Neji started off to the opposite side of the square, weaving through the dancing couples. He was well aware of the googly eyes coming from some of the ladies. No doubt they thought he was hot, but he was not interested in them. He had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Why don't you look cute?" _I recognize that voice._ Neji turned to see no doubt the girl he met at the costume shop earlier that evening.

"I'm glad you approve," Neji said curtly bowing his head.

He glanced at her for a few seconds, only long enough to survey her outfit. She was dressed in a pair of gold, flashy pants and a teeny halter top. The halter was a flashy green color to match her green and gold bangles on each arm. Her hair was hanging freely to compliment the gold necklaces around her neck. She was also sporting some huge golden ear rings and a cute mask. The mask was small, much like Sasuke's and it too was outlined by green sequins.

"You make a nice gypsy."

"Thank you. You make a nice phantom." Lita couldn't help but notice how well Neji pulled off the look. He was dressed in black pants and a black vest. He had a black cape pinned to his vest with red lining on the inside. His white phantom mask revealing half of his face only made him look more dashing. He had his hair tied back so that the hair wouldn't get in the way of his mask. He was a very handsome young man.

"Since we have spoken on more than one occasion, would it be an issue to ask for your name?"

"No, I was just thinking the same thing. My name is Lita."

"Neji and the guy that was with me earlier is Sasuke." Her eyes went wide with surprise.

"Uchiha?"

"Yes. I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Actually…no but his clan is famous. So that means…Itachi…"

"Is his brother and it would be in your best interest not to mention his name around Sasuke."

"Right," she replied thoughtfully. "Neji…Neji…I KNEW it!"

"Huh?"

"You're both from Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

"Uh, you didn't notice the headbands earlier?" he asked curiously.

"Well I did but I didn't pay it no mind. You see, we sell replica headbands for different nations at our shop. You know, just in case someone wants to go as a ninja to a fair or masked event."

"Oh I see…so there could be people dressed as leaf ninja here tonight?"

"Yeah, but I don't remember selling any today. Anyway, you must be a Hyuga."

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I dunno. Just an educated guess. I hear the Uchihas and the Hyugas are the most powerful clans to come out of the Leaf Village. That girl, Hinata, is royalty. I would think they'd send only the best to escort someone that important." Neji smirked but he decided not to answer. "So are we going to stand here and talk all evening? Let's dance!"

"Dancing is not really my thing."

"Oh come on!" She grabbed Neji's hand and pulled him towards the square. "We're dancing." She forced his hands on her waist and placed her arms around his neck before starting them into a slow rock.

"You know, I was actually…"

"Looking out for that girl. I know but she's not here yet so quit worrying."

"How do you know she's not here yet?"

"She'll arrive when the kazecage gets here. It's tradition."

"Oh ok."

"Now quit ya worrying and have some fun cutie."

She pulled him closer, resting her head on his chest as they swayed to the low beats of the music. Neji was a little taken back by her authority but he said nothing. She smelled just as good as she had earlier that day. He noted that she was a very attractive girl, but he wasn't interested. He knew who he wanted and even though he knew that he shouldn't, he couldn't help himself. His thoughts were interrupted once again by her voice.

"Your girlfriend is a lucky woman," she said softly.

"Hmm…why would you say that?" he replied.

"Well I think you are very handsome and well mannered. You carry yourself like a true gentleman. It's hard to find guys like you around these parts. Are all the leaf village shinobi like you?"

"For starters, thank you for the compliments. To answer your question, I am not so sure. You'd have to ask some of the ladies. I'm sure they'd be glad to answer that one for you. Although, I think it's safe to say that despite what you may think of me, I am not the popular one."

"Oh really?" she asked curiously. She pulled away and looked up at him. She seemed very surprised.

"Shocking I'm sure," Neji said with a chuckle.

"It is. I can't imagine…never mind. So who's Mr. Popular? Maybe you can introduce me."

"He's right over there." Neji nodded his head in the direction of Sasuke.

"Oh, Mr. Uchiha. I should have known," she said laughing. "A couple of ladies saw him earlier and have been going on and on about him all day. Well, he is nice looking," she said thoughtfully, "but I don't know. He seems like the playboy type. I could be wrong though."

"If you say so, but if he is what you say, then maybe he needs someone to tame him."

She raised an eyebrow at him before laying her head on his chest again. Neji smiled and continued his slow sway to the music.

---

---

_It hasn't been five minutes and Neji already has him a girl._ Sasuke sighed as he scoped the crowd in search of Hinata. He was having no luck and it seemed that Neji was no longer interested in finding his cousin. _Damn._ Sasuke decided to go and look for Hinata somewhere else so he started towards Neji. He stopped suddenly as he felt a sharp pain in his neck. _What the…_ He clasped his right hand over the curse mark before cursing softly under his breath. _Why is there pain?_ He rubbed the spot once more and started making his way towards Neji when someone whispered his name. He looked around quickly but didn't see anyone. _What the hell is going on? Am I hearing things?_ Sasuke started walking faster through the dancing couples when he heard his name whispered again, this time a little louder. He stopped and turned around. Someone was in the back of the square, leaning against the brick wall that he had been leaning against just mere seconds ago. He could not see their face for their head was down, but he was certain that was where the voice was coming from.

He started walking slowly towards the shadow but stopped suddenly when his head jerked up. He saw a pair of snake-like eyes and they pierced his soul, sending chills up his arm. _It can't be_. Pain shot through his body once more, forcing him to close his eyes and bite his tongue to keep from crying out. When he looked up again, the figure was gone. _Did I just see…or am I losing my mind?_ He hurried quickly through the crowd, back to where the figure had been but there was no sign of him. _I'm losing my mind. _He shook his head as the music stopped playing. A small boy walked out onto stage silencing the crowd of dancing masqueraders.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our very own Kilik Mumoto and Princess Hinata Hyuga!"

The crowd clapped enthusiastically as Kilik and Hinata appeared on the stage from the back, arms linked and smiling. Hinata's face was red and Sasuke could tell that she was clearly embarrassed. He smiled to himself. He loved that shy look of hers. That night that he'd touched her, made her moan...she had been so embarrassed. He shook the thought and just stared at her in awe until he saw Kilik lean in and kiss her on the cheek. _Son of a bitch!_

_---_

_--- _

"Wow. She looks amazing!" Lita exclaimed.

"Yes, I suppose so," Neji replied. He was doing his best to control himself but it was hard. For starters, he did not like the way Kilik was kissing on his cousin. At that very moment, he wanted to just grab Kilik and beat the living hell out of him, but he could not. Technically, Hinata and Kilik were dating but he didn't care. He wanted Hinata for himself and Kilik was just an arrogant jerk that needed to be put in his place. He cursed softly before tearing his eyes away from the stage.

---

---

Hinata glanced around the square from the stage trying to find a spot to stare at. She had never liked being the center of attention and being in front of a lot of people whom she knew nothing about really made her sick to her stomach. She kept skimming the crowd until she spotted Sasuke. She could tell it was him because of the hair. She giggled a little on the inside at his ridiculous mask. He looked up and met her eyes, making her blush even harder. He winked at her as she managed to tear her eyes away from his. This is going to be a long night she thought.

---

---

"Hinata, how about we dance so that you can mix and mingle with the crowd? I'm sure your overbearing cousin of yours will make a scene if you don't check in with him at some point tonight."

Hinata nodded quickly as Kilik led her off the stage and into the square. People moved out of their way, bowing respectfully as the two walked by hand in hand. Kilik found a nice spot and pulled Hinata close as they began to sway smoothly to the rhythm of the music.

* * *

**AN:** _So I finally decided to give you a longer chapter. Enjoy it. It's the last update you'll get this week more than likely. I am going to spend some more time working on my Inuyasha one, not to mention I have exams all this week. As you can see, the love situations are starting to get interesting. Yes, I made Lita a VERY attractive female. Anyone who has read my other stories will know that things may not always go the way that you want them to. If they did then life would be boring. Besides, Hinata is about to get something huge dumped on her. As for Lita, well, hate to say it folks but she's sticking around for a while. If you don't like her then I am just giving you a fair warning because she's going to be around for quite a while. I have plans for her. BTW, flames are good. I thrive on them. That is all. Oh and if you get bored waiting on my next update, you can always read **Oh Choices.** You don't have to be a wrestling fan to read that one. It has absolutely nothing really to do with wrestling. I just used one of the wrestlers to make one hell of a complicated love story. If you decide to read it, make sure you read part two and review. Happy reading!_


	20. Masquerade Part II

Sasuke watched as Kilik led Hinata off the stage and into the square. Kilik pulled her close and they began to dance. He watched as Kilik whispered things into her ear as she giggled and turned light shades of red. _That should be me._ Sasuke stood still and watched them for several more seconds before he decided enough was enough.

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---

--

"Hinata, have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?" Kilik asked sweetly as he spun her around. She giggled shyly before nodding her head.

"Only about a thousand times," she replied softly. She looked around nervously as Kilik spun her around once more. "People are…staring at us."

"Oh well that's to be expected love. You are very beautiful. I'd think something was wrong if they did not." Kilik gave her a reassuring smile before planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Ahem." Kilik and Hinata quickly turned around to see Sasuke standing there. Kilik took one look at him and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just…never mind. So what do you want?" Kilik asked.

"A dance with the lady that I am protecting. Is that going to be a problem?" Sasuke asked. Kilik shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to Hinata.

"Well sweetie, I will leave you for now. I have to go and find my brother. He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. Have fun with the little Uchiha boy okay?" He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips before taking his leave.

"Why that little…Oh well." Sasuke grabbed Hinata from behind, gently running a finger down her sides.

"Sa…Sasuke!" Hinata exclaimed softly. "Someone might…" He quickly turned her around to face him, stepping closer to whisper in her ear.

"I don't care who sees me princess, especially Kilik. He's not worthy to have you." He slid his hands down her waist before leading her into a slow rock. She placed her arms around his neck and giggled when he winked at her.

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"Neji, are you always this quiet?" Lita asked.

"I suppose so."

"I see. I don't know how your girlfriend can stand it. You have a nice voice. You should talk more often."

"I never have anything to say. I only talk when necessary." She pulled away from him and frowned.

"The silent treatment…you are something else," she laughed. "You know, I bet you are a lot more talkative in private."

"I suppose you'll never know," he smirked. She ran her hands down his sides and looked up at him.

"Maybe not, but I'd like to," she whispered.

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close once more before resting her head on his chest. Neji didn't say anything for he didn't quite know how to respond. _Is she…serious?_ He looked down at her and saw that she looked so peaceful and sweet nestled against his chest. _You are quite the beauty, but I just can't_. He looked around for Hinata and spotted her dancing with Sasuke, her head was now resting sweetly against Sasuke's chest. Neji frowned. _I wonder…_

* * *

_------_

* * *

_Oh poor Neji. Seems that my little Sasuke is making a move at your cousin. Mhm…how amusing! But everyone deserves to have a little fun. Even you Neji…I think that can be arranged._ Orochimaru laughed as he made his way through the crowd of dancing people.

---

---

---

"Kendrik, where the hell have you been?" Kilik asked angrily. They were standing behind the village stage at the fiesta. Kendrik was dressed the same as Kilik only his suit of armor was a traditional silver color and so was his mask. His long red hair was hanging freely as the wind whipped through it gracefully.

"I had to speak with father about a few things," he replied quickly as he fidgeted with his kunai knife.

"Then why are you so damn twitchy?" Kilik asked eyeing his brother curiously.

"It's nothing. Anyway, what time is father making the announcement?"

"I don't know. Soon I guess. Has he arrived…?"

"Yes, he's here. He's with father now. I escorted him into the village."

"Alright good. I think this is going to work out perfectly. She is quite the beauty and the more I spend time with her, the more she grows on me. I love her innocence…It's so sweet." Kilik stared up at the sky dreamily until his brother let out a loud cough filled with sarcasm.

"Whatever bro. I don't even know…I got a bad feeling about tonight." Kendrik turned away and started to pace. Kilik, sensing his brother's worry and frustration, inquired more.

"Kendrik please…what is going on? Why are you so nervous? ANSWER ME DAMMIT!"

"I SAW HIM!" Kendrik yelled, tossing his kunai to the ground.

"Who…did you…?"

"I saw Orochimaru."

"You actually saw…"

"Yeah I did," he replied haughtily as he slowly walked toward his brother. He picked up his kunai on the way staring menacingly at his brother. Kilik quickly pulled out his own kunai and frowned at his brother.

"Hey, what's the big idea…"

"You knew about him being in the village yet you did not tell me. Why is that little brother?" Kendrik asked, still holding his kunai. He stopped about two feet in front of his brother reading his kunai for battle.

"Look Kenny, father made me swear…"

"Since when have you started listening to father?"

"Kendrik stop the nobility act. Father cut a deal with Orochimaru in return for protection and money. Not to mention all the wealth we'll obtain after tonight. I mean, father has been trying for years to…"

"I know that dammit! But _Orochimaru_? Even I wouldn't stoop so low as to…"

"Yeah well you're only saying that because you're so afraid of him."

Kendrik could feel his face burning hot, but there was nothing he could say. He was very frightened of Orochimaru but at the moment there was nothing he could do about it without risking his neck. Kendrik sighed before lowering his knife.

"I'm going to my post." He left without another word.

* * *

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* * *

Sasuke caressed Hinata's back as they swayed to the music. She felt so soft and warm up next to him and he loved the way she responded to his touch.

"My god you are beautiful," he whispered. "You better be glad that we are not alone sweetheart." Sasuke grinned as Hinata stared up at him wondrously. _So cute_. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

_Sasuke…_

_What the…?_ Sasuke pushed Hinata away and looked around frantically.

"Sasuke…is something wrong?" she asked nervously. The more she watched him the more nervous she became.

"Uh…I'm not sure," he said with a frown. He continued to look around before he heard his name again.

_Sasuke…SASUKE!_

The whisper was louder and more forceful this time. He felt the mark on his neck prickle but he did not flinch. He didn't want to scare Hinata when he had no idea what was going on himself. After scanning the crowd with no such luck, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled reassuringly at Hinata.

"Everything's fine princess. Hey listen, I am going to go to the little boy's room. I'll be back in a few princess…unless you wish to join me?" he asked smiling deviously. Hinata gasped before raising an eyebrow at him. "I can't really read the look on your face for the mask but I'm sure that was a no. Anyway, I'll be back in a few sweets." He kissed her cheek before running off.

---

---

---

"Thanks for the dance Neji," Lita replied as she and Neji made their way to the back of the square. They had danced through three straight songs and decided to take a break.

"You're welcome," Neji replied politely. They reached the back of the square and Neji turned around, scanning the crowd for Hinata. He found her now dancing with someone else.

"You're a great guy Neji," Lita said softly, commanding his attention once more.

"Now why on earth would you think a silly little thing like that?"

"Believe it or not, I've learned a few things about you tonight. For starters, you are really quite humble. You don't like to brag about yourself or your family's wealth. And secondly, I can tell that you take your job very seriously. The way you look at your cousin…I tell that you want nothing more than for her to be safe."

She smiled at Neji before running a finger down his cheekbone. He closed his eyes and when he did, he felt her mouth cover his, planting a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away to see a very shocked Neji.

"Thank you for the wonderful evening. I am going to go home now. I don't see Uchiha anywhere otherwise I would have chanced a dance with him as well. See you later." She smiled before taking her leave.

-----------

-----

-----------

As soon as Sasuke left, Hinata was approached by another gentleman. His long gray hair was tied back into pony tail and he was dressed mysteriously. He was wearing red suit with a red and black cape draped on his side. His mask was black covering only the top half of his face. His costume fit perfectly with his pale looking skin that Hinata could see. He approached her slowly and bowed his head respectfully.

"Uh…hello," Hinata replied with a small curtsy.

"Lady Hinata what a pleasure it is to finally meet you," he said softly. He smiled before taking her hand and kissing it gently, making her shudder slightly. "May I have this dance my lady?"

"Uh…sure," she whispered. He placed one hand on her waist and started to lead her into a waltz. For some odd reason she was able to quickly pick up the steps and follow his lead as though she had been dancing forever.

"You are quite the dancer princess," he said softly, smiling down at her.

"It's really been a while since I've danced like this." They moved along the square gracefully, dancing in sync to the rhythm of the music.

* * *

----

----

"Dammit! Where the hell is that voice coming from?"

Sasuke walked around the the stage area and then he worked his way through some of the shops, looking for the man he'd seen earlier. _Something weird is going on around here._ Sasuke walked towards the stage once more and when he was sure no one was looking, he ducked behind it only to find Lita snooping around. She jumped when she heard him land a few feet behind her.

"Jesus! You scared the hell out of me Uchiha!" she exclaimed nervously.

"That means that you were probably up to no good." She laughed as she approached Sasuke. As she swayed towards him, Sasuke couldn't help but notice how interesting her outfit was. She looked like a gypsy woman…fine as hell he thought. He cursed softly before she stopped in front of him.

"What are you doing here Uchiha?" she asked impatiently.

"I was…checking something out."

"Why?" she asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Damn, you're one nosy broad. It's really none of your business, but if you must know, I am doing this in order to reassure Hinata's safety."

"I see," she replied pursing her lips. She shrugged before turning away from him. "Well I'll leave you to your…" She stopped talking as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Get down!" Sasuke hissed. She ran towards him and they both ducked behind a nearby balloon stand, listening to the voices as they approached.

--

"_I am very glad you agreed to this Hiashi. I can't tell you how much this means to me and my family."_

"_Oh it was nothing. Although I have to say Tsunade wasn't very happy about the idea at first, but after some carefully worded persuasion by a good friend of mine, she finally agreed to it. Besides, Kilik is a nice young man. I'm sure he'll make me very proud."_

"_Oh yes, he'll do just that…otherwise it's his neck."_

_-- _

"So that's what they are up to!" Lita whispered. Sasuke turned and pressed her body to the tree making her blush slightly.

"What the hell do you know?" he whispered forcefully. "Answer me!"

"Uh…well…I'm not sure but I think my father has cut some kind of deal with Hiashi Hyuuga."

"Okay…that would explain why he's here," Sasuke whispered frowning. "But if that's the case, why send us here? Why go through the trouble of sending Neji and me here to…wait, did you say father?" Sasuke asked softly. Lita lowered her head as Sasuke's eyes burned with anger.

"The Lord Kazecage is your father?" She nodded her head slowly. "So you mean to tell me that Kendrik and that Kilik are both your…?"

"Yes, but you must not say anything to them!"

"Why shouldn't I? This whole trip has been one secret after another for Neji and me. Why do I get the feeling that something bad is going happen? What's really going on here?" Sasuke whispered angrily. Lita peeped around the corner just as the two older men disappeared. Lita sighed as she pushed away from Sasuke.

"I was banished from the village three years ago," she muttered softly. "My father…the lord kazecage…he banished me because of something he was doing that I didn't agree with."

"I see. So what did he do?"

"To make a long story short he…" She was cut off by the sound of a knife whizzing by her right cheek hitting the tree. Both Sasuke and Lita looked up to see some ice shaped as a kunai knife stuck to the tree.

"What the hell…?" Sasuke began but was immediately cut off by the sound of Kilik's voice.

"Now now little sister. We can't have you telling all of father's secret business can we?"

* * *

**AN:** _Yeah, I know. Not a whole lot of action in this chapter but don't be too upset with me. This masquerade is just full of surprises. I may have part three up tomorrow. We'll see. It's been a long ass week for me. School is such a drag. FYI, do NOT take 19th Century Europe if your professor is a nice little British man. You have been warned. Let's see...a lot of the plot was just revealed so now you have a general idea of what's going to happen...maybe. Bwahahaha. And yes, that was Orochimaru that Hinata was dancing with and Lita is not a floozy but you'll learn more about her soon. Thanks for reading now go review. LOL _


	21. A Shocking Revalation

**AN:** **Ok. So here's the deal. Don't take this the wrong way for I am not pointing out specific people. If you have a problem with seeing Hinata with people other than Sasuke or Neji, then I am WARNING you now to read no further. This is MY story and the plot will go as I see fit. I am not pissed at anyone nor am I getting an attitude. I am just tell you before you continue reading. DON'T LIKE. DON'T READ. Fair enough. And besides, if I say that this is a Neji/Hinata fic then that means they will eventually get together. It just may take sometime. -shrugs-  
**

* * *

Neji stood idly by and watched as Hinata danced with the other gentleman. _Oh well…guess I should go look for Sasuke._

_---_

_--- _

"Lady Hinata, tell me, why were you standing here all by yourself? Even though this place seems to be heavily patrolled it's still dangerous for a person of your status to be out here all alone." He swung Hinata around quickly and then pulled her close to the beat of the music. She blushed as he pulled apart and bowed.

"Well…uh…I was with…Kilik but he had to leave."

"Oh I see. Well then princess, if you don't mind, I'd like another dance with you. I don't see Kilik anywhere and I really don't think you should be left alone. You never know what could happen." Orochimaru smiled sweetly and then bowed his head slightly.

"Oh…ok."

"Hinata, you do not have to be so shy all the time. You are a very beautiful young ninja." He lifted her chin with his hand staring deeply into her eyes.

_Oh my…his eyes…_Hinata smiled, lost in his eyes as he pulled her close and led her into a slow waltz.

---------

---

---------

"Kilik? What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke asked. "This has nothing to do with you…unless there's something you're not telling me?"

"Uchiha, you're wrong bro. You see when it comes to my sister, divine right makes it my business." _This little prick_…Sasuke's sharingan eyes flashed and he readied his kunai.

"Wait! Sasuke…please. Don't…I don't want to fight. I don't want either of you fighting."

"He's the one who interrupted us. Why don't you get onto him?" Lita sighed as she started approaching Kilik. Sasuke quickly grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Hey! Let me go!" she cried.

"You fool! Did you not see the damn knife that he threw at us?" Kilik let out a loud obnoxious laugh making Sasuke frown.

"I don't remember you saying anything funny."

"It was an inside joke."

"Do tell."

"I just…I mean, seriously, I love the way you rushed to my sister's aid like that. You don't even know her yet you're out here helping her. For all you know, she could be lying."

"That may be, but then, that would make two of you." _Something's wrong here…_

"Sasuke…don't…don't listen to him! He's just mad because I know…I know what they tried to do years ago and they are planning something similar now." Kilik's eyes flashed and he quickly started making hand signs.

"I don't know what you are planning to do, but if I were you, I'd think again."

Saskuke turned to see Neji standing a few feet away, Byakugan at the ready. Kilik looked up and frowned before tossing a kunai in which Neji easily dodged. Sasuke took the opportunity to run at Kilik, sharingan eyes blazed and ready.

"FIRE STYLE…"

"ENOUGH!" There was a big gust of wind, knocking everyone over…everyone except Neji. When the air cleared everyone slowly got to their feet to see Kendrik standing amongst them, eyes flashing with anger.

"Kendrik what the hell man? I was going to finish these two off and…"

"You will not harm our visitors. What made you…"

"Her." Kendrik looked confused but he quickly got his answer when he looked over to see Sasuke helping Lita to her feet. His face went pale immediately at the sight of her and he thought that he was going to be sick.

"Li…Lita?" Kendrik asked, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Yes, it's me big brother." She was grasping her side and her face was twisted up funny. Kendrik dropped his guard and broke into a run towards her, but a giant kunai made of ice stopped him in his tracks.

"Kilik…what's…this all about?" Kendrik asked softly. Sasuke shot a curious look at Neji who was also looking confused.

"Brother, have you forgotten what she did to our father? Have you forgotten how she tried to ruin his reputation?" Kendrik dropped to his knees and just stared at the ground. Kilik let out a cruel laugh before turning his attention back to Lita.

"Dear sister, since I am in a caring and giving mood this fine evening, I will let you go and not tell father that you are here in the village, but if you are not out of town by the end of this evenings festivities, I will not hesitate to turn you in." Kilik raised his arms, spinning quickly and disappearing into the night. Sasuke and Neji both just stood there silent, until Lita broke the silence.

"I have…to get going now," she whispered. She wiped her eyes, before limping off.

"Lita…please…wait." Lita stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of her brother's voice.

"What is it?"

"Why'd you come back?" There was along pause before she decided to finally answer.

"Because I wanted to make things right, but after tonight, I deem it somewhat impossible." Sasuke watched as she too disappeared into the night.

"Man this night just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Sasuke mumbled. He stared at Kendrik who was still kneeled on the ground. "Hey man, are you going to stay there sulking all night?" There was a loud ding that shook the night air cold.

"What the hell was that?" Neji asked as he shifted his stance.

"Oh no…the…we have to go back to the dance. My father will be appearing in another thirty minutes or so. Him and his…guest." Kendrik quickly got to his feet and then nodded towards them. "I'll see you two in a little while."

------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------

For some reason, Hinata was now having the best time of her life. She had no idea who this masked figure was but she found him to be very interesting. Plus, there was something peculiar about his eyes. They seemed to pierce her heart like a knife…but in a good way. Hinata giggled causing her dance partner to smile curiously at her.

"Did I do something to amuse you my lady?" he asked, pulling her close so he could easily wrap his arms around her waistline. She responded by laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes.

"N…no. I just…"

"Hmmm?"

"Oh it's nothing you should worry about."

"As long as you are happy."

Orochimaru grinned as he caressed the back of Hinata listening to her heartbeat next to him. _She's really quite the beauty…She'll also be useful as a fighter…if I need her to fight._ _She's so precious…_Orochimaru stared at Hinata's bare neck. It looked so fresh…so inviting. He could see the pulse in her neck; it moved rhythmically with each breath that she took. He ran a finger down her back causing her to shiver lightly.

"Hinata dear…I want you," he whispered in her ear. She looked up at him and met his eyes, which were now flashing with hunger. She smiled dreamily before laying her head back on his chest. Orochimaru leaned over and brushed his lips against her neck, feeling for her pulse. _She's mine!_ He sank his teeth into her neck, causing her body to go limp in his arms. She let out a soft moan, but it soon turned to a whimper as she felt the pain coursing through her body.

"There there…the pain won't last much longer," he whispered. Seconds later, she was standing to feet on her own, looking confused as ever.

"What? Where am I?" she asked weakly. Kilik smiled and took her arm into his.

"We are at the fiesta my lady. Don't you remember?" Hinata's head was still spinning slightly but she could vaguely recall being at the fiesta. She nodded her head.

"Okay then. Well, it's time to go on stage." He led her through the crowd and back to the stage where he ushered her into one of the big chairs. The music had now ceased and Kendrik appeared in a cloud of smoke onto the stage to a loud applause.

---

---

Sasuke and Neji had just made it back into the square when they noticed Kendrik on stage. He still looked pale and sickly, which made Neji frown.

"I do believe he's in no condition to be up there."

"I agree. I mean, look at him…Hinata!" Neji looked onstage to see Hinata sitting in a big chair next to Kilik. She still looked as beautiful as ever. _Oh Hinata…_

"Now ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention. Will you please welcome to the stage my father, the Lord Kazecage ,and his special guest for this evening, all the way from the village hidden in the leaves, HIASHI HYUGA!" _What the…?_ Neji's eyes widened as he watched his uncle come upon the stage followed by grinning Lord Kazecage.

"Neji…I…I meant to tell you…" Neji grabbed Sasuke's cape and began wrapping it around his neck. "HEY…HEY NEJI! WHAT THE HELL MAN?"

"YOU KNEW MY UNCLE WAS…" Sasuke punched Neji in the ribs before grabbing his vest.

"Calm the fuck down!" he said menacingly. "Look, I just found out a while ago when I followed Lita. I saw the both of them, your uncle and the kazecage but I didn't get a chance to investigate because of the minor interruptions from yours truly," he replied nodding towards Kilik. Neji sighed before apologizing under his breath.

"Sorry," he mumbled. _Why is my uncle here?_ Lord Hiashi stood up and everyone in the square bowed politely, including Neji and Sasuke.

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am to give away my princess and heir to the Hyuga throne to such a loving and caring family." Sasuke and Neji both looked up, eyes wide with fear and mouths open out of shock.

_No…no he can't be serious…my cousin…_Kilik stood up and bowed in front of Lord Hiashi.

"My lord, I promise to treat Hinata like she's a princess all day everyday. I swear to protect her with my life, but above all, honor the Hyuga clan as well as the leaf village with my future wife, Miss Hinata Hyuga, at my side."

Sasuke dropped his head and stared at the ground furiously. _I can't believe…it's over for me…_

* * *

**AN:**_ Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Oh how the plot thickens...You think you know what's going to happen? Bwahaha You have no idea. I'll update again soon. Don't know when that will be though. -shrugs- I have to update my Harry Potter one so review. _


	22. Interference of Destiny

The crowd erupted as Kilik kissed Hinata's hand before helping her up to face the crowd. Hinata just smiled and waved nervously, trying not to panic. _Father…he didn't tell me…_Of course, she knew that she was of age to be married but she did not figure Lord Hiasha would do something like this. Then again, she probably should have known. She never would have agreed to wed Kilik no matter how good of a guy he was had Hiashi mentioned it. She sighed before looking out at the crowd once more. She quickly spotted Sasuke who was staring at the ground. _Poor Sasuke…_She and Sasuke were not a couple per se, but she could tell that he was upset…maybe even sad. She was not sure how long her 'thing' with Uchiha would have lasted but she would have loved to find out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first of the pre-wedding ceremonies will take place in eight days at the hour of eight. Please dress accordingly. Now dance until your heart's content," Lord Kazecage shouted. The crowd cheered loudly before starting to pair up again and dance wildly to the blaring music.

"Lady Hinata, I have some duties I must attend to. It was a pleasure. I hope that…you aren't too angry about this arrangement," Kilik said humbly, bowing in front of Hinata. Hinata blushed as she shook her head. She was just too speechless to engage herself into conversation. In reality, she didn't know how she felt about being 'engaged'. Kilik bowed towards his father and Lord Hiashi before disappearing.

"Hinata, I am going to be off now. You should go through the back and wait for your cousin."

Hinata exited behind the stage quickly and obediently as her father beamed proudly.

"Lord Hiashi, my son will do right by you. That is a promise."

"Oh I know Jai. I trust you."

_Neji._

Neji looked up with a start to find his uncle eyeing him. _I've been summoned_.

"Sasuke…"

"Yeah, go on and while you're at it, see if you can talk some sense into your uncle."

"Hmp. Talk some sense huh? If he can't see what we see then I see no point in arguing with him. Hinata is of age and as heir to the Hyuga throne, I have no say in the matter."

"So you're going to just stand by and…"

"We'll discuss this at another time." Neji spun around quickly, disappearing before landing in front of his uncle, head bowed out of respect. "You wanted to see me uncle?"

"Neji, I sent Hinata on her way but I need you to follow her. Make sure she gets back ok."

"Sure. Whatever you say _good_ uncle," Neji replied as he stood, glaring at his uncle.

"I get the feeling something's bothering you."

"Now uncle whatever gave you that idea?"

"Neji…"

"Good-night uncle." Neji quickly darted behind the stage in pursuit of Hinata. He needed to get away otherwise the scene between he and his foolish uncle would have been one for the books. _That fool…_

_---_

_--- _

Sasuke watched the scene between Hiashi and Neji. He could tell that Neji was pissed but as Neji said before, he would not pursue the issue any further. Sasuke bit his lip to keep from crying out in anger. _How could Lord Hiashi allow his princess to just marry anybody…a guy not even from their own lands?_ He laughed when the answer came to him. _Politics._ Always has been about what's good for the nations and the best ways to form alliances with out stepping on toes. _Figures. Time for me to go to bed_. Sasuke turned to leave when he heard that voice again, whispering his name.

_Sasuke…_

He looked around wildly until he finally spotted that figure from earlier. The guy looked up and met his eyes briefly. Then he turned slowly and walked off. _I must follow him._ Sasuke broke off into a run through the crowd, knocking people over trying to find the guy. He was out of the square and now standing near some empty stores.

"Mmm…my, my, Sasuke."

Sasuke's whole body froze in place, his face now cold with fear. His eyes widened and he could feel the hairs standing on his arms. _I can't move…what's he doing here?_ "Sasuke, you don't look to happy to see me? Oh well, even so I am happy to see you." Sasuke dropped to his knees and cried out in pain, the curse mark on his neck searing. He could feel his body being taken over. _No…not again…_

"NO! I WON'T…" Sasuke hit the ground and was silent. He had been hit upside the head with a bottle.

"Oh Kabuto, do you have to be so dramatic?"

Kabuto leaned over and opened Sasuke's mouth. He proceeded to pour a thin, green substance down Sasuke's throat. He picked Sasuke up and placed him upright against a nearby tree.

"That should do it."

"Good. Let's get going now." Orochimaru smiled as he and Kabuto disappeared into the night.

---

---

---

Neji walked along the path lost in thought. He still could not believe his uncle would do such a thing. _That fool…Kilik…of the Rain…This can't be happening_. He was so lost in thought that he did not even see Hinata sprawled onto the ground.

"Ne…Neji?" she moaned softly. Neji stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. He quickly spotted Hinata and ran towards her. He leaned over and lifted her head gently, cupping it in his hands.

"Oh my god, Hinata. I am…are you alright?" Neji silently cursed himself. He ought to have been paying more attention and because of that his cousin may have been seriously hurt.

"I'm…fine I just…I was walking and then I can remember feeling so…tired all of a sudden." She yawned as Neji studied her closely and he could see that she had not been hurt. He helped her stand but when she tried to walk, she plummeted back onto the ground, landing on top of him. "I'm…sorry cousin…just too tired…"

"No…it's ok…Hinata," he whispered.

He didn't realize what was happening until Hinata started moaning softly, thus driving Neji further insane. She had laid her head on his chest, exposing her bare neck. Neji couldn't help it. She smelled so good and looked so inviting. His lips brushed the side of her neck but that didn't last long as he soon started planting slow, soft kisses on her neck, feeling her pulse on his lips. Hinata moaned softly awaking a desire that Neji wished would go away. He ran his hands through her hair and down her back, wishing he could feel the bare flesh under her frocks. Hinata lifted her head, slowly facing him.

"Neji? I…need to see you."

She reached over and pulled the mask off of his face. She could now see the hunger in his eyes, clearer than ever before. She ran a finger down his cheek and then he pressed his lips against hers. His tongue explored her mouth, tasting her, feeling her soft lips. She responded to his touch, kissing him back with equal passion_. I can't…what am I…_Neji rolled over until he was now the one on top. He resisted the strong urge to tear off her clothes and make love to her, thinking about how his uncle would kill him. He kissed her lips one last time before standing to his feet. He leaned over and cradled Hinata into his arms.

"I have to…get you to your room. You need rest la mia principessa Hinata," he whispered. Nodding her head, she made herself comfortable in his arms as they strolled off into the night.

-----

-------

The guards let Neji enter the house and he waited while Hinata changed into something comfortable to sleep in. When she emerged from the restroom Neji could feel his face turn hot as he watched his cousin walked by him. Her hair was hanging freely and the sheer nightie that she was sporting made his arousal cry out for her. She climbed into her bed and Neji walked over to tuck her in.

"I'll be going now Hinata. You sleep well," he said softly as he pulled the covers over her. He kissed her forehead and started away.

"N…Neji…wait…please don't go." He stopped dead in his tracks.

"But…Hinata…I…"

"Please stay with me cousin." She sounded more terrified than anything.

"Is…are you…?"

"I'm…afraid. I don't want to be alone tonight."

She sat up in bed, revealing the top half of her sheer nightie but Neji shrugged it off, the image still implanted in his head.

"Alright. I'll stay." He took off his cape and shoes before seating himself into the recliner at the foot of her bed. "I'll sleep here princess. I'll be right here swee…I'll be right here princess"_ Sarò sempre vi protegga_ She smiled happily before lying back down. It wasn't long before she was sound asleep. Neji smiled and soon he too was fast asleep.

---

"_Neji, I overheard…um…my…my…father…he's going to…he's going to separate us!"_

"_Oh, it's ok Hinata. You are after all, part of the main branch of the family. You have to be alone sometime you know. Someday, it will be up to you to keep the family together." Neji smiled as he pulled Hinata into a hug. She began to weep softly next to him. "Oh, Hinata do not cry princess. Everything will be alright. Just because we can't see each other as often, doesn't mean we will start to care about each other less. You know that I will look after you know matter what. Yes, it's my job but I'll do it not because it is my job, but because I care." Hinata looked up at him and smiled._

"_You are the best Neji and I…I love you for it." Hinata gave him a peck on the cheek before running off to join the elders._

_--- _

Neji woke up suddenly, Byakugan at the ready. _I heard a noise_. He looked through the walls intensely before spotting something moving in the shadows. He glanced over at Hinata, before darting out of the big window landing in front of the shadowy figure.

"Who are…?"

"It's me you idiot. I have been looking all over for you." Neji looked up at the sky to see that it was nearing sunrise.

"Yes, so what is it that you want from me?"

"Your uncle is looking for you."

"Oh damn. I am not in the mood to talk with that old fool right now. Besides, it's too early."

"Yeah well I'm only doing what I'm told. If you don't go then that's your business."

Sasuke shrugged before speeding off. Neji cursed silently before racing back to the house. He entered through the window to find Hinata still sleeping soundly. He gathered his things quietly before making his way next door, to dress comfortably. After dressing he sped off towards the water tower of the Lord Kazecage_. It would be in uncle's best interest not to try my patience this morning…_

_---_

_--- _

Sasuke watched as Neji sped off. He glanced up at Hinata's window watching the curtains whip from the wind_. Soon Hinata…_

* * *

**AN:**Here are the translations. They are all Italian.

1._ la mia princesepessa_----------- **My princess**

2. _Sarò sempre vi protegga_------- **I'll always protect you**.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Like I said, the updates will get slower. I probably won't update for another two weeks because I have finals coming up. If you see other stories get published, it will be because I already have them written I just need to proofread them and make small changes. Anyway, don't get too mad. That's just how it is when you're in college. Love you guys lots.


	23. Neji and Hiashi: Heart to Heart

"You wanted to see me uncle?" Neji found his uncle in the office of the kazecage. He was drinking a cup of hot sake staring out the side window.

"Yes. Come now and have a drink with me. We need to talk."

"Uh…" Neji cursed under his breath and stared at his uncle. "Well I'm not really thirsty uncle." His uncle chuckled, setting his cup down on a nearby stand.

"I get the feeling you're not too happy about the way I went about things."

"I'd rather not say. I haven't any say to begin with so why should my feelings matter now?"

"Neji that's not entirely correct and you know it. You see, Hinata is my first born and as heir to the Hyuga clan it is my responsibility to make sure she chooses the right person to help uphold our legacy."

"I was under the impression that she had no choice in the matter."

"Yes…and no. You see if I had any doubt about Kilik then I would never have accepted his father's proposal. As for Hinata, she's a big girl now. If there was something about Kilik that she did not like, I am a hundred percent sure she would have come to me about it by now."

"Hmpf. You're living in a fantasy uncle. Hinata's scared to death of you. Do you really think Hinata would speak out against the great Hiashi Hyuga…even if he is her father?"

"Neji, I don't like that tone of voice you're using with me." His voice was cold and stern. Neji looked away, his Byakugan burning with the desire to be used.

"What makes you think you know more about my daughter than I do? I have yet to see you spend time with her. You can't possibly know her unless you spend time with her and if my memory serves me right, you hate Hinata…and you hate me too."

_No uncle…you couldn't be more wrong. Hate Hinata…If you only knew how I have envisioned Hinata in my bed…_

His uncle shook his head as he stood to his feet. He walked over to Neji and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look Neji, all I'm doing is what I think is best for Hinata. I would feel so much better about things if you would support me. After all, this affects your future as well."

"I…yes uncle." _Obedient. That's what I am. That's my job…Or else…_

"So you'll…"

"I'll do my best. You see, despite what you do and who you force Hinata to be with, I will do my job as an obedient servant to serve the main household and protect my cousin. However, that does not mean I have to like it nor does it mean I have to protect _him_. If it comes down to that then you might as well kill me now and get it over with. Hell will freeze over before I ever do anything for that good-for-nothing showoff."

"Why would I want to kill…?" His uncle's eyes widened and he smiled, completely amused. "Oh I see…that's what this is all about."

"I don't get what you're…"

"You're still angry about this main branch-side branch household situation." Neji finally snapped, his Byakugan blazing. He drew his fist and punched the wall behind him with all his force, making a hole to the outside. The cool water from the waterfall outside sent sprinkles of water inside on the floor. Hiashi just stared at Neji, stunned by his behavior.

"Neji, what is your problem?" he asked standing to his feet. Neji turned to him, eyes on the floor. He did not want to look his uncle in the eye. His uncle was getting up in age and despite the loathing of his uncle, he refused to let him see the hate and contempt in his eyes.

"Uncle, you've got it all wrong," he huffed. "That…that hasn't crossed my mind in quite some time now. I no longer think about how ignorantly divided we are anymore. I have Naruto to thank for that. My anger…it runs…deeper than that."

"THEN TELL ME NEJI! TELL ME WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND! WHY ARE YOU…?"

"I CAN'T TELL YOU…IT'S…I can't…just…we'll let it go."

_If you knew how bad I wanted Hinata, you'd kill me for sure. If I can't have her then I want to at least be able to protect her._

"If you can't open up to me, then who can you open up to?" Hiashi sighed; his eyes now weary with strain. He sat back down in his chair and started sipping on his tea again. He smiled weakly at Neji then nodded. "You may leave now." Neji bowed respectfully as he turned to leave. He stopped at the door his head bowed in defeat.

"Hinata."

"Yes?"

"To answer your last question. Hinata," he said softly as he sprinted away.

* * *

-----

* * *

Hinata awoke bright and early that morning to the warm sun shining brightly on her skin. The window to her right was open and the sun was just teasing the right side of her face. She smiled as at the nightingale that sat perched on the windowsill, singing beautifully to anyone willing to listen. Hinata stretched and rolled out of bed. She stopped short at the recliner that sat a few feet away from her bed._Neji._ She vaguely remembered the events of the night before._Let's see…I was dancing until my uncle announced…_

"Oh no," she groaned. She plopped back onto the bed, mainly because her legs would no longer sustain her. "I'm getting married…" Hinata stared at the floor as the tears started waling up in her eyes. _It's not that I don't like Kilik. He's a great guy…fun…cute…_

"Why am I not so happy?" Hinata lay back onto the bed staring up at the ceiling. Was it because she did not love Kilik? She always knew that there would be a day when she would be forced into marriage. At a young age, the elders had well prepared her to be in a love-less relationship so why did it matter now? She had never been in love before…or…

"Have I…been in love before?" she whispered out loud. "No," she answered herself, standing to her feet. "Who am I kidding?"

She walked towards the recliner and noticed that Neji's costume was still there. She smiled picking up the phantom cape and wrapping it around her. She inhaled the scent…the scent of her cousin and images from the night before came rushing into her head…

---

"_Neji…I…I need to see you." Is it really him? Neji took off his mask and Hinata could see the hunger in his eyes. She reached up and caressed him, encouraging him to touch her back. He obliged, covering her mouth with his…running his fingers through her hair and down her back…_

_--- _

"What am I thinking? He'd never…he doesn't…" Hinata folded his things neatly and then started towards the restroom.

_Hinata…_

"Huh?" Hinata looked around wildly trying to place the direction of a very faint voice. "I thought…I know I heard someone call my name."

_Hinata…come to me princess…_

Hinata's face went pale and her body started to tremble. _What's happening to me?_ She tried to walk forward but the pain shot through her like fire, forcing her to fall back.

"Don't worry princess. I'm just dropping by to make sure everything's alright. I see my little curse mark is working just fine."

Orochimaru caught Hinata in his arms. She had fainted, but that was to be expected of such an innocent young ninja who had probably never killed a soul in her life. He scooped her into his arms then carried her back to her bed. He placed her gently on the bed before taking a seat next to her playing with the strands of her hair.

"Oh Hinata, you are quite the lovely specimen," he said softly. "I've been watching you for quite sometime and I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma about marrying this Kilik fellow. Mmm hmm, but don't you worry princess. When the time comes, you'll be able to do something about it and then you will seek me out. You'll come to me like all the others have in the past and I will be waiting." He leaned over and kissed her neck softly then disappeared just as quickly.

------------------------------------------------

"Lord Orochimaru, I am here at your command."

"Sasuke! You are quite the useful ninja. You have been watching Hinata so you must have spotted me earlier I imagine."

"Yes, Orochimaru." Sasuke kneeled in front of his master obediently without being told. They were both conversing behind a small waterfall located just outside the village.

"Very good. At least some of my help is worth something. You keep watching her. The curse mark is affecting her just as I predicted it would. It won't be long before she comes to me."

"Yes, my lord."

"In the meantime, why don't you play nice for a change? It seems that Neji and his uncle are having issues. Also, I am sure you could always have a laugh at the expense of the Mumoto brothers. Both are complete idiots although that Kendrik could prove to be a problem. Watch him too. I may be back sometime this week. Who knows? I just may pop in tonight. I need to give Hinata a little bit of encouragement to see things my way."

* * *

Neji returned to Hinata's place in order to get the rest of his things. He half expected her to be awake but when he entered through the window, he noticed that she was asleep on the covers.

_Hmmm…something's not right. That's definitely not where I left her._

He approached her cautiously, his Byakugan blazing as he checked the room inside and out. He could detect no signs of anyone else being there but he still could not shake the feeling. Hinata started to stir from her slumber, her soft moans causing Neji to curse under his breath. _If only she could moan for me…in my bed…_

"Ne…Neji?" she stammered in barely a whisper. _Oh God, your voice…_

Neji's arousal only worsened. The sound of his half awakened cousin's voice was driving him insane, not to mention he had an excellent view of her sheer nightgown. Her petite yet supple breasts were rising and falling with each breath that she took causing the bulge in his shorts to get bigger.

"I…yes cousin?" His voice was raspy with hunger but he did his best to suppress it. She tried to sit up in bed but immediately fell back down as the pain shot through her head. Neji ran over to her and kneeled down beside her. "Hinata! What's wrong?"

"I guess my fever…I woke up and I thought I was feeling alright but next thing I knew I was back in bed."

"Huh?"

"Never mind cousin. Maybe it was just a dream," she said tiredly. She smiled down at her cousin, cupping his face before the sleep took over her once again. Neji just stared at her, his face now rigid with concern.

_She shouldn't be sleeping like this. I wonder…_

Neji stood over her and began to check her for bruises and marks on her arms and shoulders. When he couldn't find anything he decided to check around her neck area, but the results were the same. Before he could give into the temptation to kiss her neck, he backed away and took a seat in the recliner across from her bed.

_Something's not right and until she awakens, I will sit right here and protect her._


	24. Caught In the Act! Hiashi's Fury!

"Neji? C…cousin?" Neji jumped and grabbed Hinata's arms pulling her down into his lap.

"Oh…I'm sorry Hinata. I just…you startled me," he said nervously._Neji…control yourself…_Hinata giggled as she stood up.

"That's ok cousin. Um…you're still here watching me huh?" she asked with a smile.

"Uh…you were…running a fever and I just…" Hinata leaned over and kissed the top of his head.

"Thank you cousin, but you know I'm feeling much better now." Neji closed his eyes and shook the dirty thoughts from his head before standing to his feet.

"Very well then. I shall leave you now. At some point while you were sleeping, that imbecile Kilik came by looking for you. I suppose you ought to go and find him when you're done getting dressed. After all, he is your fiancé." Hinata's happy face had now turned sour.

"I…I guess," she mumbled.

"You don't sound very thrilled."

"I'm…I don't know…how I feel," she stammered. Neji walked over and lightly touched Hinata's shoulder.

"He's a good guy…I guess…I mean…He treats you the way a woman should be treated. Long as he keeps that up, I guess I have no choice but to accept him."

"Neji thank you for cheering me up. I know that you don't like Kilik but the fact that you tried to put your feelings aside…means…a lot big cousin," she said softly. She threw her arms around him and embraced him. "You've…changed…a lot Neji."

"Huh? How?"

"I mean, it's not…bad or anything. I just…sometimes when I'm with you, I think about how we used to be so close. You…make me feel special Neji. Thank you. It means a lot."

"Oh, Hinata…It's not…I didn't do anything worth…"

"I'm glad that you're here with me cousin," she blurted out.

He returned the embrace, holding her carefully, doing his best to control his body. Her sweet scent began to overpower him as he buried his face in her neck brushing it lightly. _God help me pull away…_Hinata only embraced him tighter, lightly running her fingers up and down his spine, driving him crazy. His lips moved towards her ear, nipping at it gently before trailing kisses back towards her neck.

"Neji…," Hinata moaned. The helplessness in her voice put Neji over the edge._I can't stop now._ He threw Hinata onto the bed and climbed on top of her, covering her mouth with his. Her legs parted and enclosed themselves around him revealing the creamy skin of her legs. His right hand moved towards her leg, tracing a path to her thigh all the while sliding the sheer fabric of her gown up towards her chest._Stop me Hinata! Stop me now before I take you!_ Neji tore his lips away from hers and their eyes met. She was gazing up at him dreamily as if she wanted it too.

"Hinata…I…"

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HER!" Neji soon found a pair of hands around him and in the next instant he was tossed against the back wall, creating a huge dent from the impact. Neji closed his eyes and clenched his teeth doing his best not to cry out from the pain. When he finally had himself under control, he opened his eyes to find Kilik standing over him.

"Why…you…"

"Neji Hyuga…if you weren't Hinata's cousin I'd kill you right here and now," Kilik said through clenched teeth. He was clutching a shurigan in his hand and drops of blood were hitting the floor.

"Kill…_me_?" Neji smirked. He tried to stand but his head was still throbbing from having hit the wall with such force.

"No point in you trying to stand. You may have a concussion. You might want to go get that taken care of. In the meantime, I am taking my bride up out of here and away from you. I think Hiashi needs to know that I've relieved you of your duties. There's no need for you to watch Hinata anymore. Sasuke can stay but you…I want you gone."

"And if I…don't go?" he asked, clutching his side.

"That's your business, but if I catch you anywhere near Hinata again, I'll finish you off…_in_-law. Come Hinata. Let's get out of here."

"But I…my clothes…"she stammered but he cut her off.

"We have plenty of those at the tower." He took Hinata by the hand and they both disappeared, leaving Neji in a pile of rubble on the wall.

_Damn you Kilik! To hell with you. I refuse to leave Hinata…Not now, not ever. Now for the wrath of my uncle…_

**---**

**--- **_  
_

"You wanted to…to see me…father?" Hinata entered the room of the kazecage to find her father sitting behind a desk. His expression was unreadable and Hinata wasn't sure what to prepare for.

"Hinata, is there something you wish to tell me?" he asked softly. Hinata knew that tone of voice. It was her father's way of using guilt to get information out of her. Not this time father. _I will protect Neji…my cousin…my love…love?_

"Hinata?"

"Oh um…no…I…I don't think so. Am I…_supposed_ to have a secret to tell?" she asked boldly. Hiashi's eyes widened at her impudence but he chose not to go there.

"Hinata, princess…I had a word with Kilik not too long ago and he fed me a bit of information that I'm certain is false."

"Oh…well…"

"He seems to be inventing bizarre stories about you and…Neji. Neji of all people. Can you believe that?"

"Uh…well…actually…"

"Hinata dear, tell me all the talk is false so we can get on with our planning of the wedding festivities."

"Uh…well…what did you hear?" she asked nervously. _Here we go…_

"He said he caught Neji on top of you, getting ready to…well…you know but I'm sure he's seeing things. Neji hates your guts and I don't recall you ever mentioning being a big fan of his since the two of you fought at the preliminaries."

"Uh…things…can change," she replied softly. Hiashi rose to his feet and walked over to his daughter.

"Hinata, look at me. What Kilik said…is this…true?" There was a long awkward silence before Hinata found the courage to speak.

"Y…yes father. It's true. I…I kissed Neji." Hiashi's Byakugan flared and he put up the hand sign to a jutsu Hinata knew only too well.

"NINJA ART…"

"FATHER NO! STOP IT! DON'T HURT HIM! HE…HE DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING BY IT FATHER!" She ran at her father but he tossed her aside.

"Neji will _pay _for touching you! It's his job to protect the main branch not violate them!" he spat angrily, Byakugan eyes raging with fury.

"But father…please…" she pleaded.

"You listen to me Hinata everything I do is for your own good. Kilik is a good guy and unless you can give me a reason to believe he'd harm you then you _will_ marry him."

"No he's a good guy but…"

"And Neji will keep his hands off of you or he will suffer my wrath. Now, I think we should all have a family conference. Neji should be here in a few. I'm sure he felt my rage just now so he knows it would be best to come and see me rather than have me send for him." Hinata slumped down on the floor and sat their in silence. _What am I going to do?_

_-----_

_--_

_----- _

A few minutes later, Neji came through the door head bowed out of respect. The temperature in the room seemed to rise another 50 degrees and he was sure that his uncle was doing all he could to control his anger. He looked around the room and spotted Hinata slumped over in a corner. Her head was hanging low as if she was doomed to death. _Here we go…_

"Neji just stay where you are…no…I think you better have a seat. How about I give you a hand?" All of a sudden Neji fell to his knees, his hands clasped over his forehead. The pain was unbearable and his head felt as if it were on fire. _No…I refuse to cry out…_

"FATHER! STOP IT! PLEASE…" Hinata cried. She ran over to Neji and put her arms around him, glaring angrily at her father. "No one deserves to be treated like this father," she cried.

"Hi…Hinata…please…I'm…I'm sorry princess…" The pain began to worsen and Neji could no longer hold his breath. He cried out and fell back on the floor writhing in pain. Hinata clasped her hands over her ears and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Father…how could you? It was my fault…" Hiashi released the jutsu and walked over to his nephew standing over him as he continued to writhe in pain.

"You will do well to remember that my daughter is engaged. See to it that you never lay hands on her again. As for you Hinata, you will do well to honor the clan and do what you're told. Now both of you leave me."

Neji slowly pulled himself up to a sitting position and leaned back against the wall. He knew this was coming and he was actually grateful that Hiashi didn't do a lot more_. A small price to pay for my stupidity. _He was about to pick himself up when a pair of hands reached out to him. He looked up to see Hinata, eyes red from all of her crying.

"Let me help…you…cousin," she whispered. Neji took her hands and she pulled him up.

"Neji, see Hinata back to the square. Sasuke will meet you and watch Hinata for the rest of the day. In the meantime, you can either leave or stay. That is up to you. Just remember what I said." Hinata ushered Neji out of the kazecage's office and they both walked briskly in silence down the dark tower. When they reached the bridge that crossed the waterfall, Hinata sat Neji down beside her then began to cry again.

"Neji…I'm so sorry…I just stood there…and he did this to you…"

"It's ok princess," he grunted. He was doing his best to hide the fact that he was still hurting but in truth, his body was in unbelievable pain right now. His arms felt like jelly and his sides were cramping. His head was pounding and he wanted nothing more than to take a big headache pill and sleep for days.

"I know you're hurting cousin. I…I've known you long enough to know. Can you…please don't let this ruin our…" She began to sob again and Neji wanted to just drop dead. He hated seeing her like this and he was afraid to comfort her. His body would tell on him not to mention he was sure that his uncle father was still watching them from the tower.

"Hinata despite what uncle says, I'll stay and watch over you. I won't…get too close and Sasuke will watch you when you are with Kilik. This is nobody's fault but mine because as a member of the side branch it is my duty to respect Lord Hiashi's wishes. What I did today…was…inexcusable…"

"But Neji I…"

"No more talk Hinata. Let's get you down to Sasuke alright?"

"I…yes cousin." She stood first and then helped him to his feet. Hand in hand, they walked in silence to meet Sasuke at the bottom of the tower.

---

---

Hinata watched as Neji walked off. There was a slight limp in his walk. He's still in pain and it's all my fault.

"Hey girl, are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm…I'm fine Sasuke."

"Oh ok. Just checking. Can't have the Hidden Leaf's finest all upset. So what's wrong with Neji? I know he didn't let that idiot…Oh, I'm sorry princess. I forgot," he mumbled.

"That's ok. Yeah, Kilik caused a bit of a ruckus earlier this afternoon and now my father is tagging me 24/7 now."

"Oh man that sucks. What about Kilik? How does he feel about this whole ordeal?"

"Well I…"

"Kilik loves the idea." Hinata jumped at the sound of Kilik's voice. _Oh, no…_

"I didn't hear you come up. Have you been eavesdropping the whole time?" Sasuke inquired. Kilik was about to respond with a retort but something made him close his mouth quickly.

"Uh…I just came by to make sure my fiancé was doing alright. Hinata, you're still as beautiful as ever. If I have upset you then I am truly sorry. I just…How about we talk about it sometime later alright?" _Yeah, we'll talk alright…_ Hinata nodded her head as Kilik sped off.

"That was…interesting," Sasuke commented. "Let's get out of here." Hinata followed Sasuke down the familiar path towards the guest house lost in thought_. Kilik…Why am I so…angry all of a sudden? I feel…as though I could kill him, but that's not like me at all…Huh? Why am I so sleepy?_ Seconds later Hinata passed out face first on the ground. Sasuke leaned over and picked her up, then quickly carried her behind the guest house. No one could see them because of the high level gen jutsu that had been cast behind the house before hand.

"Bring her here Sasuke." Sasuke looked up to see Lord Orochimaru sitting on the highest tree branch of a giant oak tree. He quickly climbed the tree and placed Hinata in Orochimaru's lap before disappearing back through the gen jutsu.

"Oh Hinata…" Orochimaru played with a strand of her hair and then caressed her tummy. "I had almost forgotten how beautiful you were," he whispered. "If I'm not mistaken, I could have sworn you were thinking something along the lines of killing Kilik? You can do it princess. In fact, you'd feel so much better if you did just that."

He rested his head on Hinata's shoulder and closed his eyes, taking in her sweet scent. He caressed her cheek with his own before letting his lips brush the side of her neck at the place where he'd bitten her. _Such nice pale skin…_He placed a gentle kiss on her neck as he caressed her tummy.

"You know Hinata I didn't give you some of my powers for nothing. It's high time you test it out and once you do, you won't be able to resist me. You'll come to me wanting more just like Sasuke did. Although, I have to say that Sasuke is becoming a bit of a nuisance now that my control over him has weakened. Oh well, I'd much rather have you at my disposal…or pleasure rather." He kissed Hinata's forehead and placed his hands on her cheeks, his hands glowing purple. "Sweet dreams princess." He disappeared leaving Hinata asleep on the branch with some very interesting dreams.

* * *

**AN:** _Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Questions. Comments. Concerns. You know what to do. Don't know when the next update will be. Love you guys! BTW, I actually like Orochimaru. He's a bad guy but he's so cool though. He's like the Naruto version of Lord Voldemort. Ha ha ha Yeah, I am thinking about writing a story about Orochimaru. I think that if he had a girlfriend then he wouldn't be so bad. -shrugs-  
_


	25. Death After Dinner

"_Hi…Hinata…please…don't…I never meant…"_

"_Just shut up you pathetic piece of trash! You think you're all that because you have long pretty pink hair. Well news flash Sakura, you're nothing compared to me. In fact, I'm sure Sasuke would agree that I'm more of a lay than you'll ever be." Sasuke came around the corner and placed his arm around Hinata's waist pulling her close. He licked the side of her cheek and grinned._

"_How's my princess?"_

"_Mmm…that feels good. I'm doing wonderful darling now that you're back."_

"_Sa…Sasuke?" Sakura sat back against the tree apparently horrified by what she was seeing. "Oh…oh Sasuke…how could you?" she whispered through sobs._

"_I told you Sakura. You were once the head princess in the village. Times change and so have I. Sasuke belongs to me now!" She jerked away from Sasuke and started towards Sakura slowly, a look of pure hate in her eyes._

"_No…Hinata…please…what are you…?" Hinata took out a shurigan and held it to the side of her waving it in the cool night air._

_**Kill her Hinata…**_

"_Hinata…that's…that's not Sasuke! That's Oro…" Hinata tossed the shurigan at Sakura, slitting her throat cleanly. The blood began to pour from the cut immediately. Sakura's eyes widened but when she tried to speak, nothing but blood poured from her mouth and she fell over limp with death. Hinata bent over and licked Sakura's lips from where the blood had splattered transversely on her face._

"_Mmm…very good Hinata. I see you're going to make me proud." Hinata turned around to see—not Sasuke but Orochimaru smiling down at her, a smug look about his face._

"Hinata! Wake up! Snap out of it!" Hinata's eyes fluttered open only to see Neji leaning over her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his face pale with fright. Hinata sat up and looked around wildly.

"Um…what's…where…I mean…"

"Shh…it's ok princess. You're safe…I mean…" Hinata threw her arms around Neji and hugged him tight.

"Cousin…something's…I had a terrible dream," she sobbed.

"I…heard you dreaming...screaming rather. It appears that you sort of cast your own gen jutsu in your dream. It took me a while to find you but never mind that. You have to go. Kilik is looking for you and it's getting late. I'm allowed to escort you to the guest house so you can dress for dinner. There's a banquet being held tonight in honor of your engagement," he said stiffly as he helped Hinata to her feet. Hinata's face twisted in fury and she could feel the anger surging through her body. _Kilik…Engagement…_For a brief second she felt as if she could kill someone, the power coursing through her system but she quickly shook the thought.

"Uh…right," she replied weakly. Neji nodded his head and they quickly sped off towards the guest house.

* * *

An hour later both Neji and Sasuke were seated at a long table in the village square patiently awaiting the arrival of Hinata and her fiancé. Sasuke looked around trying to find something to entertaining but found his eyes glued to Neji who seemed to not have a care in the world. His eyes were closed and his arms were folded across his chest. 

"Figures," Sasuke muttered. His thoughts were interrupted by the fanfare announcing the arrival of the guests of honor. Coming down the stairs with arms linked were Hinata and Kilik. Kilik looked very pleased with himself while Hinata looked as though she'd rather drop dead. Kilik ushered her to a seat across from her cousin and then proceeded to sit in the seat next to hers. A moment later Hiashi, Kendrik and Kazecage Jai entered and sat in adjacent seats; Lord Kazecage at one end of the table and Hiashi at the other. Sasuke rolled his eyes and settled in for what promised to be a long, dysfunctional evening.

-------

The servants started bringing out covered dishes as everyone else at the table began to congratulate the happy couple. Every now and then Hinata would cut a Neji a look but because he didn't wish to anger her father he would only look away. _Oh cousin…_ Hinata surveyed the people at the table between bites of fish. Kilik did indeed seem pleased with himself. This pissed Hinata off. She felt as though Kilik had no reason to feel proud of himself. What he did to Neji in her eyes was unforgivable. _Hmp…you'll get yours soon. Just you wait._ The thought pleased her as her attention was drawn to another individual—Kendrik. Kendrik had not said a word the entire dinner. In fact, he was probably the only other people besides Sasuke and Neji who disliked the idea of a wedding. Hinata guessed that he could feel her eyes for his head shot up quickly and his eyes met hers. He smiled weakly before stuffing his face with food. Wonder what that's all about…

"It's settled then. Wedding will be in two days," Hiashi'a voice boomed. "I will send word to Tsunade for the reception shall take place in my home village."

"That is fine," Jai replied.

"WHAT? HUH?" Hinata shot her father a looked but he only smiled.

"Hinata darling, weren't you listening?"

"Uh…"

"We were just all making sure that the wedding date was set in concrete. We bumped it up by a day since the workers have everything they need for the big day. All the decorations have been shipped and so has your dress and food."

Hinata's face went pale and she slumped down in her chair. _Damn. So soon…_She looked up to see Neji, his eyes full of…could it be…that he was…hurt by this news? She brushed the thought and sat up straight in her chair. Something had to be done but what? She did not wish to marry Kilik that much she was sure of but if not Kilik then who? She was still kind of curious to what kind of relationship she could have with Sasuke yet for some reason he wasn't as appealing anymore. Right now, her only thoughts were that of Neji, her own flesh and blood. All she could think about was the way they used to be as kids…how close they were long ago.

--

"_Hinata, it's okay if you have a boyfriend. In fact, uncle said that it's best that you start getting along with some of the guys here. You know, someday you'll have to marry and take over as the leader of the family." _

"_But Neji…I…I'm only 10 and Kiba…He's not my…"_

"_Oh I know, but I'm just saying." He laughed and poked Hinata on the nose before turning to leave._

"_Hey…Neji?"_

"_Yes?" He turned around to face a distraught looking Hinata. He ran over to her and pulled her close._

"_Hey…what's wrong?"_

"_Neji, I can't…I mean…I still…But father told me not to but I can't help it…"_

"_Shh," he whispered running his fingers down her back. "I know, but we can't…"_

"_But father…he doesn't have to know!"_

"_If we keep breaking the rules then I…" Hinata silenced her cousin by kissing his cheek and running back towards the village…_

_--- _

"Hinata!" Hinata jumped and almost fell out of her seat. She looked over at her father who had this concerned look upon his face.

"Yes?" she managed.

"Are you…?"

"I'm fine. Can I…be excused?" she asked impatiently. He stared at her curiously for a second before nodding.

"Yes, but Kilik is going to escort you back to your room. I'll see you in the morning princess."

"Whatever," she mumbled. Kilik walked over and linked his arm within Hinata's and they walked along. The last thing Hinata would remember is seeing her cousin's bewildered look and Sasuke's mischievous grin.

* * *

Hinata and Kilik walked down the path towards the guest house in complete silence. Neither one was in a good mood and both had other things they'd rather be doing. Kilik had thoughts of Hinata and Neji on the brain while Hinata was just ready to get to bed. 

"Hey Hinata…do you hate me that much?" She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him.

"Why…why would you even think that? Did I tell you that I hated you?"

"No but I just get the feeling that you don't like me very much. That's all."

"I don't hate you but after what you did to my cousin I just don't know anymore," she responded hotly. Kilik just smirked and continued to walk along.

"Funny how a woman gets pissed at her future husband for wanting to protect what's rightfully his."

"I didn't realize I was for sale."

"I never said you were and anyway, that's not what I meant." He turned around and eyed her teasingly, undressing her body with his eyes. "It's only fitting that the husband-to-be gets first dibs on the pussy." Hinata's face started to burn.

"Why you…" Kilik just laughed harder and then slowly started approaching her, his eyes filled with hunger. "Keep away from me," Hinata demanded. She could feel her voice weakening and her body began to shake with fury.

"Oh so Neji can have a taste but not me…your fiancé?" He grabbed both her arms and slammed her onto the ground, parting her legs as he nestled between them.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Hinata screamed but he only chuckled.

"Shut your mouth princess before I really have to hurt you. I'm not going to take…much." He kissed her neck roughly before tasting her lips. She tried to bite him but using some kind of paralysis jutsu, he froze her body so that she could not move at all. "Aw, sorry princess but you left me no choice. Now that you are still I can take a little and have you home before it gets too late."

He kissed her lips once more but this time more gently since she could not protest.This son-of-a-bitch…A hand wandered over her chest, squeezing her breasts gently. Hinata's body was now on fire. She wanted to scream out in pain but she couldn't find her voice.

_**Do it Hinata…you know you want too…I gave you the power now use it…**_

Hintata cried out as the pain continued to course through her body; Her cries turned to moans as the pain started to recede and the power rejuvenating. By this time, Kilik had a finger under her skirt fingering her thinking that she was crying out in response to his touch. He stopped with his fingering and slipped out of his shorts, revealing his manhood. He smiled eagerly as he settled himself in between her legs, stopping right at the entrance of her special place.

"I knew you'd give in sooner or later." He leaned over and kissed her neck only to feel Hinata squirm underneath him. "It's no use princess. You won't be able to get out of this jutsu so you may as well accept the fact that…"

_**NOW HINATA!!!**_

Hinata's eyes flashed red as she grasped Kilik by the throat tossing him several feet away. She stood to her feet eyeing her opponent. Kilik stood up too, quickly sliding his shorts up and glaring at her.

"What the hell girl?"

_**That's right my sweet…do it…**_

Hinata ran at Kilik but he quickly got out of the way, landing behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and attempted to toss her but failed miserably as she elbowed him in the stomach. He was about to retreat but she spun around, grabbed his head with both hands, and tossed it into a nearby tree knocking him out.

_**Finish him!**_

Hinata reached in the pocket of Kilik, who was now slumped over at the base of a tree, and pulled out a kunai knife. She studied it for a moment as it gleamed in the moonlight and without another thought, drove it into the chest of Kilik. He screamed in pain for several seconds before taking his last breath and falling to his side. Hinata immediately fell to her knees, the pain in her neck spreading throughout her body. Seconds later she passed out onto the ground next to a dead Kilik.

* * *

"Just as I figured my Lord. The power that you gave to Hinata is just too strong. If she doesn't start using it then she could die." Kabuto kneeled down in front of his master awaiting further instructions. 

"I am well aware of that Kabuto. Anyway I think it's time we make our move."

_I'm coming for you princess…_

* * *

AN:_ I have no idea when my next update will be so just be patient. I haven't written the next chapters yet and it may be a while before I do. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the update. I hope I wasn't to smutty or graphic. Not really my style even though I could go there. -shrugs- Yes, Kilik is dead. No, Sakura is not. LOL Questions? Concerns? You know the drill. Love you guys!_


	26. Framed!

Neji walked along the path towards the guest house lost in an array of thought. He knew that he needed to let his cousin go for he knew that there was no way that they could ever be together, not that she'd want to anyway. She was engaged to a cocky show off who wasn't, in his opinion, worthy of such a conquest. He didn't think he was worth Hinata's love either but it didn't change his opinion about Kilik.

"I'd much rather see her with somebody like Sasuke. At least he's of our village."

Neji stopped dead in his tracks. For a while now he had the strange feeling that he was being watched or followed.

"Byakugan," he mumbled. His eyes started to scan the area. _Hmmm…nothing but squirrels…wait! There's something…_He could see what looked like the shape of a body at the base of a tree just a few meters ahead of him. Neji quickly broke into a run. _God please…please don't let it be…_When he reached the tree, he just stood there, frozen to the spot. He could not believe what he saw. It was Kilik…sitting there…dead. Neji's face went pale and he dropped to his knees overwhelmed with guilt.

"I…I didn't mean…I would never…" He used his Byakugan eyes to check for a pulse or a heartbeat but sadly he could not find one. Kilik was really dead. _Guess I should go report this. _

"DON'T YOU MOVE! YOU'RE CAUGHT IN THE ACT DEAR BOY!" Neji stood up and turned to see some jonin officers from the village. They were all looking at him with horrified looks on their faces. Behind them was Sasuke and his uncle Hiashi.

"See? I told ya'll he seemed a bit unstable," Sasuke said proudly. Neji cast him a curious look.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you talking about?" It took Neji a while to realize what was going on. "Uncle, I found Kilik just a minute ago. He was already dead when I got here."

"Neji…how…could you?" his uncle spat. Neji frowned at him never noticing how the jonin were closing in on him. A second later, he was being attacked and he quickly spun around using his rotation, sending the officers flying back.

"DOWN NEJI!" his uncle shouted. Neji didn't have time to respond for he found himself falling to the ground writhing in pain.

"Uncle…why…are…you…?" Hiashi turned away from him, clearly disgusted by his actions. Sasuke walked by Hiashi and stood over Neji smirking. Neji's eyes fluttered open for the pain was just too unbearable and what he saw chilled his body. Sasuke's body started growing what looked like a funny tattoo and it was now covering his entire body including his face.

"What the…" Sasuke laughed as the curse mark receded and took his leave, leaving Neji alone.

"Neji, you are no longer welcome in this village and if you weren't my brother's son, I'd banish you from the clan. What you did is just…I want you out of here…tonight. Go back to Konoha. I'll see you after the funeral." Neji gritted his teeth fighting back the pain and stood to his feet.

"UNCLE…YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE ME…I DIDN'T KILL KILIK! I NEVER TOUCHED THE GUY!"

"We heard you Neji. You might not have meant to do it but you did and I am ashamed. What probably started out as a dispute between to rivals turned out badly for you both only you lived and he died." Neji shot Sasuke a pleading look only to realize that Sasuke didn't care. In fact, it was though…

"SASUKE! HOW DARE YOU?!?! UNCLE PLEASE…I'M…I'M BEING FRAMED! SASUKE I'LL KILL YOU…BASTARD!"

"Yeah, just like you killed Kilik right? Go home," he laughed. Neji ran at Sasuke but his uncle stopped him, bringing him to his knees using the curse mark jutsu.

"You will do as I say or suffer. Now go!" The officers tried to take Neji's arms but Neji refused to be escorted for he didn't do anything.

"I don't need anyone's help. I am fully capable of finding my own way home." Neji walked by Sasuke but didn't say anything. _I'll get you…bastard. Just what are you playing at anyway? _He walked by his uncle, his head held down.

"Tell Hinata…tell her that…I'm sorry." That was that as he lept away, steering a course for Konoha.

---

---

The Rain Village shinobi picked up Kilik's body and disappeared, leaving Hiashi alone to his thoughts. _How could Neji…?_ Hiashi let out a loud cry as he fell to the ground. He had been hit in the back with a shurigan but by who? He managed to roll over and pull himself to a sitting position_. No…no it can't…be…_

"Hi…Hinata?" he whispered. She said nothing as she stared there watching him. Her eyes were red and void of all emotion but what disturbed Hiashi the most was the weird marks across her face. It was as though she had a really bad tattoo.

"Well done my princess." Hiashi froze. That voice he knew only too well._Orochimaru!_ "Hinata, I should make you my wife although I need to make sure you can truly satisfy my hunger." Orochimaru came from out of the shadow of a tree and stood next to Hinata. He stretched forth his long tongue and licked Hinata's face before smiling down towards Hiashi.

"YOU!" he cried. Orochimaru just laughed as Kabuto made his entrance, now standing over Hiashi grinning. He bent over and pierced Hiashi's side with a needle, putting him to sleep.

"Well done Kabuto and many thanks to you Uchiha. I was beginning to worry that I had lost you all over again." Sasuke shot him a knowing look, bowing his head before scooping Hiashi in his arms.

"Lord Orochimaru, do you want me to take Hiashi back or should I stay and fight?" Kabuto asked.

"Hmm…no…I'll watch Hiashi. I want the three of you to take down this village. Kabuto, you know what to do."

"Right."

---

---

It had been three days and still no word from his uncle. Neji was starting to get worried but he tried not to show it. Besides, everyone in the village was now whispering about his unexpected and unexplained return to the village. A few times he spotted Sakura staring at him, shooting him cold looks. He wondered what that was all about but he did not bother her about it. He was in no mood to hear her sad stories about her Sasuke. Neji sat under his favorite tree and looked at the stars. It was such a pretty night and the stars seemed brighter than usual. Soon he heard a loud rumble and sprinkles fell from the sky. It was now raining…unrepentantly he thought. He stood up to leave when a hand reached out and grabbed his leg. He turned around quickly, tossing a kunai near the ground.

"Wait…please…Neji…" He stared at his adversary. It was the girl from the Rain Village--Lita and she was hurt…badly. Neji bent down, scooping her in his arms and carried her away towards the tower of Lord Hokage.

---

"Is she going to be alright Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked.

"Yeah, she'll be alright but she'll have to stay here a couple of days. Her wounds are deep and from the looks of it, someone used some advanced medical jutsu," she replied with a frown.

"No…I…have to go…my village is in trouble," she said wincing as she tried to sit up.

"You have to lay down Lita. You are in no condition to do anything of the sort right now."

"No…Neji…please…your uncle…"

"What about my uncle?"

"He's…he's been kidnapped by that guy…they called him Lord Or…"

"OROCHIMARU!" Tsunade shouted angrily.

"Yes…that's him and the guy that…did this to me…"

"Kabuto," Shizune whispered. Tsunade let out a breath and stared out the window. This was not the time for Orochimaru to be doing things like this. Even though the village was back to normal, most of her shinobi were out on other missions. Anything involving the likes of Orochimaru or Kabuto required serious jonin power, power that she just didn't have to spare.

"Where is he? Where did they take Lord Hiashi?" Tsunade asked quickly.

"Uh…I don't know…He took…well the guy…that Sasuke guy and the girl, princess Hinata were the ones burning things. All I heard Orochimaru tell them was to go back to the lair."

"Hinata? You must be mistaken," Neji replied. "Hinata would never…"

"She did. Why would I lie to you Neji?" Lita asked looking slightly hurt. "I…I know how you must feel about her but I feel the same way about you. Besides, you never let me finish. You see I get the feeling that they were being controlled. Both Sasuke and Hinata had some strange tattoos all over their bodies. It was…freaky."

"Oh, damn that Orochimaru! He put the curse mark on her but what for? Hinata's not strong enough to…unless he just wants her for himself." Neji's eyes flashed with anger. There was no way in hell that he was going to let Orochimaru have her; No way in hell.

"I have to save them. I know it's a long shot but I can't just sit here and do nothing. Lady Tsunande please…"

"Neji, I can't. It's too dangerous. We have to wait on the other jonin."

"BUT BY THEN IT MAY BE TOO LATE! I'LL KILL HIM…IF HE TOUCHES HER I SWEAR…I'm sorry for yelling but you have to let me go on ahead." Tsunade stared at him eyes widened with shock. Was it possible that Neji was in love with his cousin? The things people will do for love…She let out a deep breath and smiled.

"Alright. I'll let you go, but not tonight. You can leave at first light if you want but on these conditions."

"Alright. Let's have it."

"You must take Kiba and Shino because they are her teammates. They may be able to help break the trance she's in. Secondly, you must find at least two other people to accompany you or the deal is off."

"So in other words, at least a team of five."

"Correct. I recommend Naruto and Shikamaru. You won't have to swallow your pride too much by asking them. I'm pretty sure you know Naruto will be thrilled. Plus, since Sasuke is his former teammate, he could try his best to bring him back again. I knew taking him back into the village was risky but I can't help but think it wasn't Sasuke's fault this time. Now go. As soon as some of the other jonin are back, I'll be there to help you." Neji bowed respectfully and then turned to leave the room when Lita tugged on his arm again.

"Neji…I just…I wanted to wish you good luck. I know that you have feelings for someone else but I…I just…be safe," she whispered. Neji looked back at Tsunade who nodded her head. Smiling, Neji leaned forward and pulled her into a kiss.

"Thank you for caring." He tore away from her and headed out the door._Hinata…Uncle…and Sasuke, I'm coming for you._

* * *

_AN: The ending is near. Aren't you thrilled? I say I have about two or three more chapters to go and I will be finished. I hope you enjoyed it so far. No, Lita and Neji will not be a couple. The kiss was just to calm her down and to reassure her things would be alright. I'll try to update soon but as you probably already know, I've started another story:P  
_


	27. Pink Hair and a Shirker to the Rescue

Neji hurried out of the Hokage's office and straight towards the village square. With any luck he should be able to find at least Naruto or Shikamaru around. Finding a team of five was probably going to be difficult considering the circumstances and then there was the fact that he was never really friendly with…anybody. Neji cursed silently to himself. The one time he needed a friend, someone he could depend on, it had to have been a time when the love of his life was in danger.

"Figures," he mumbled. When he reached the square, he headed straight towards the ramen shop but Naruto was nowhere to be found. _That's…that's really odd_. Neji walked around the square looking for anyone at this point but he wasn't able to spot anyone…anyone except Sakura. _I don't want to take her. She'll only get in the way and I haven't the time to deal with her right now._ Neji turned to leave hoping that she had not spotted him but to his dismay she had seen him.

"Hey Neji please…please wait!" she called out. Neji rolled his eyes as he turned to face her, bowing politely.

"Yes Sakura? Is there something you need otherwise I am in a bit of a hurry."

"Uh…well…have you…I mean, I know Sasuke went with you to the other village and I was wondering when he's supposed to return. There have been rumors about you…and…"

"Rumors huh? What kind of rumors?"

"Well…your uncle sending you back couldn't have been good. There's talk that he's planning to execute you which I'm sure is completely false. However, Tenten has been a wreck ever since your sudden return and the fact that you haven't been by to see her is…well it's actually pretty sad," Sakura lectured. Neji frowned at her raising an eyebrow.

"I answer to no one Sakura, not even my teammates. That being said, I did not think I had to report back to Tenten upon my return so I honestly don't see what the big deal is."

"Oh Neji…are you really that clueless? You're just like Naruto but I should have known. Yes, you're a genius but all guys fall short in the one subject that matters most—girls."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that the entire time you've been on the same team as Tenten you never once noticed how she acted around you?"

"What?"

"She likes you silly," Sakura said laughing. "In fact, I'm willing to bet she likes you a whole lot more than she's letting on. Don't you like her too Neji? I always thought that you two would end up together."

"Uh…well I…I do like her but not the way that you think. We're just friends. Nothing more or less."

"Oh," she said glumly. "Well that hurts. She's going to be crushed when you tell her."

"What do mean by that?"

"You know that since Lady Hinata is engaged, Tsunade is throwing a party for her. Then there's another party…you know, the one that's held every year around this time? She was planning on asking you to be her date even though…I could be mistaken but I thought you two were dates every year."

"Uh…wow. I'm sorry. I had forgotten all about it," he said staring at the ground.

"How could you? Your cousin's getting married and…" _I can't take this anymore. I'm wasting too much time here…_

"She's not getting married," he said impatiently. "Her fiancé was supposedly killed by me but I did no such thing. Hinata has been kidnapped and cursed by Orochimaru and if I don't get a move on soon, I could lose her forever!"

"WHAT?!?! OH…Oh, Neji I'm sorry…hey wait a sec…what about Sasuke?"

"Uh…he's…he's working with Orochimaru. Sorry but I gotta go…"

"Oh no you don't! I'm coming with you dammit and don't you dare try and stop me! Sasuke is…well you know how I feel about Sasuke. I wish I could say the same about your feelings for Hinata but I know that your pride wouldn't let you leave her to be taken by that awful man so…"

"You got it all wrong Sakura. You know nothing of my feelings for her so I suggest you let it go," he warned.

"Whatever you say genius. I just hope she gets over her Naruto thing. It's a bit sad being as he doesn't return the feelings. There's also the fact that there are other good looking shinobi in our village. Sasuke…"

"He'll never touch her. I won't allow it," he grumbled.

"Uh…okay…but I really can't see those two…never mind. So tell me more about this rescue mission?"

"Huh? Uh…well there's nothing to tell. Orochimaru has my uncle, Hinata, and Sasuke. He used Hinata and Sasuke to destroy a village and who knows what else he has planned."

"Wait a sec. Run that by me again. He used…_Hinata_ to help destroy a village?"

"Yes. He…he bit her and planted a curse mark on her delicate neck. That filthy swine, that bastard…his tarnished lips touched skin that's so heavenly…he's undeserving…I am going to kill him…"

"Neji…Neji…NEJI!"

"Huh?"

"Uh…you're starting to scare me a little. I never…knew you cared so much but the things you said…" She stopped talking for a second staring at the ground. Both were uncomfortably silent for the next minute until Sakura looked up, staring him right in the eye with a look of utter amazement.

"Why…what are you staring at me for?" he huffed.

"I…I know…I…I think it's weird but…it all makes sense now," she babbled.

"What are you…?"

"Neji, you're in love with your cousin and don't say that you're not. You'll only make a fool of yourself. Wow. I just…I never would have imagined…your words…"

"I didn't say…"

"Yes you did. You didn't say it directly but it was there. The tone of your voice, the look on your face just now…but it's ok. Your secret's safe with me now let's get going," she whispered taking him by the hand. "Nothing hurts more than losing someone you love."

---

---

Neji and Sakura dashed through town until they reached Shikamaru's home. He was sitting outside staring up at the sky.

"Hey Shikamaru!"

"Neji? Sakura? What's up? Isn't this sky just lovely?"

"Uh…yeah so um…we kind of need your help Shikamaru. We have a mission and we need to leave asap," she huffed.

"Uh…did…the Hokage say that I had to go because missions are such a drag and I really don't feel like…"

"Sasuke and Hinata are in trouble. We have to go help Neji get them back!"

"Uh…Sakura…why should I help Neji? He doesn't even like me," he said frowning.

"Shikamaru. I'm sorry. I am sorry that I've treated you coldly and in the future I promise to do better. You are one of the few shinobi here in the leaf that I respect. I actually…almost envy you sometimes because you are so gifted."

"Whoa! Neji…I…you don't have to butter me up. Sure I'll help. I'm afraid you'd kill me if I don't help anyway." Neji sighed and then walked off leaving Shikamaru and Sakura behind.

"Shikamaru I can't believe you!" Sakura hissed.

"Man, what did I do? Neji never talks to me. In fact, he's always been this rude, pompous shinobi that thinks he's better than everyone so why should I be in a hurry to help him?"

"Shikamaru, you have no idea how much Neji must be hurting. Hinata has been taken captive by Orochimaru."

"And? Since when has he ever cared about her? He almost killed that poor girl a few years ago remember?"

"Yeah, but it's not like that anymore!" she insisted.

"And how do you know…?"

"Because I love her," he said softly. Shikamaru looked up to see Neji standing over him wearing the weirdest expression. It was full of guilt and sadness. _Could it be that Neji really…?_

"Come again?"

"I am in love with Hinata. I know what you're thinking and I know it's wrong of me but right now I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to rescue the woman that I love, even if we can't be together." Shikamaru stared at Neji curiously before breaking into a smile.

"I always knew something was up. I'm glad you told me even though I was going to help you anyway. I just needed to hear it from you. So when do we leave and who's going with us?" he asked standing to his feet. Sakura slapped him in the face causing him to hit the ground. "Ouch! What you do that for?"

"You asshole! You tricked us!"

"Yeah…but I needed to know. Neji's been freaking me out lately, the way he stares at his cousin. I've seen him watching her and it's been crazy!"

"Yeah whatever. And to answer your question, we still need to find Naruto and two others."

"Hmmm…well, Naruto is sleep at his place and the only others who could come with are Ino and Gaara. Gaara is here visiting. I hear that he, Temari and Kankuro are thinking about moving to Konoha. Anyway, I'll round them up for briefing and then I guess we'll leave." Shikamaru stood to leave but Neji grabbed his arm holding him back.

"Thank you Shikamaru."

"Anything for a comrade…and a new friend." He smiled at Neji before disappearing.

"Well, looks like we now have our team. All that's left now is to get them back no matter what," Sakura replied.

"Yeah…no matter what," he whispered. _I'm coming for you Hinata._

_-------------------------------------------- _

Orochimaru smiled as he continued to play in Hinata's hair. They were both lying on the bed; Hinata's head resting on his chest while she slept soundly.

"My lord it would seem that you've taken a liking to the girl," Kabuto noted. Orochimaru shrugged his shoulders and continued to play in her hair.

"I suppose you could say that. I just hope that the curse I put on her isn't too strong. I'd hate for her to die in such an awful way. In fact, I really don't wish for her to die at all. You're quite right Kabuto. I do like her. Just look at her. Isn't she precious?" He leaned over and licked her cheek before a low chuckle escaped his lips.

"I suppose the Leaf Village will be sending some people soon my lord. What should I do to prepare?"

"Oh no need to get so worked up. If I know Tsunade, the village is still suffering from our last attack which means all of her elite jonin are out of the village. The rest are stationed at the borders along with ANBU black ops so they won't be leaving anytime soon. I wouldn't expect too difficult of a fight."

"What about that sage Jiraiya? He was a handful last time and that was when he was injured."

"I'll handle him," he hissed. "Now leave me. Go check on Sasuke." Kabuto bowed before leaving the room.

"Oh Hinata…what to do? What to do? I want you to fight for me but you're so precious I could just…keep you all to myself." He traced a finger along side of her face and then down to her chest where her breasts were just peeking out of her tank. _Hmmm…how delicious looking…but now is not the time to be having such thoughts. _He leaned over and kissed Hinata's cheek before sliding off the bed and exiting the room.

-------------------------------------------

"Alright you guys. You understand the situation right?"

"Yeah we got you Shikamaru so can we go now already?" Naruto asked impatiently. Neji just stifled a laugh when Sakura leaned over and punched him in the stomach.

"Shut up you dork!"

"Oh Billboard brow, you have no room to talk," Ino replied calmly.

"Why I ought to…"

"Hey! Enough. Let's get a move on. There's no telling what Oro is doing to that poor girl," Gaara stated. Everyone quieted down and focused on Neji waiting their instructions.

"You know the formation so get in it." They all lined up according to Shikamaru's plan and headed for the gate. "Alright. Now before we go I just want you all to know that…" Neji looked away, fighting to hold back the tears. He was full of mixed emotions. On one hand, he was happy that he had a team to face Orochimaru but on the other hand, he was feeling guilty. He went all these years pushing everyone in the village away and when the finally came to seek them out for help, instead of them turning him away because of his rudeness, they embraced him like he was their best friend.

"No need to go on Neji. We understand and we know that you appreciate us. How about we get going now?" Neji looked up at Shikamaru and thanked him silently before leading the pack out of Konoha. It was time to rescue his woman and take down Orochimaru.

* * *

AN: Alrightly then. I think we may be getting to the ending of this tale very soon but I'm not sure yet. I am trying to decide how in depth I want to go with this. Meh...We'll see. I am soon going to start on a Kakashi/Hinata story so I hope you stick around for that one. I promise you you'll love it; Anyway happy reading and hope you review. Don't know when I'll update again because I need to update Inuyasha. Laterz 


	28. A Grim Situation: Feeling's Mutual

"Lady Tsunade, I came as soon as I heard. What's going on?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, Naruto and the others are off to help Neji. His cousin along with his uncle are being held captive by Orochimaru."

"WHAT?! SO YOU SENT THEM…hey wait a sec. What about Sasuke?"

"Uh…well, you see according to Lita…"

"Who's Lita?"

"A girl from the Rain Village. She's the one who told Neji what happened. Neji was so insistent on getting to his cousin that I couldn't say no. It was a little…strange for him."

"I see…so who all is helping?"

"Well I told him that he had to have a team of at least five otherwise he would have to wait. So he managed to round up five others to tag along. I told them not to die on me. I'd never be able to live with myself as Hokage if something happened to those kids. I love em to death. I stressed to them that all they needed to do was just hold out long enough until I could get there. Anyway, the team is Neji, Shika, Ino, Naruto, Sakura, and Gaara."

"Why is Sakura tagging along? I thought that…well…"

"Sakura forced him to let her go and Ino wanted to help out as well. Gaara…well…his Sand crew came to me and asked permission to move here permanently. I am thinking about it. If he proves himself today then it just may be a possibility. Let's see…oh and Shikamaru is needed badly. He'll keep them alive and Naruto…I felt like Naruto should go because after all, Sasuke is his teammate and Hinata would be glad to see him," she finished.

"Well, I need to get going. I have some unfinished business with a show-offy little brat."

"Yeah…about that. Kakashi be careful alright? Kabuto is not to be taken lightly. He managed to take me down in a matter of seconds…I…I don't need to lose you…" She turned away and stared out the window behind her. Kakashi walked behind her desk and extended his hand pulling her to her feet. He cupped her face in his hands, looking very sincere.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'll be alright. Besides, now that I know you actually care, I have one more reason to keep on living."

"What makes you think I that care?" she scoffed. He just chuckled before taking off his mask revealing the nice shaven skin underneath it.

"You never said that you didn't."

"Oh really? Well I'll have you to know that…" Her words were cut short when his mouth covered hers. When her lips parted he slipped in his tongue tasting her, deepening the kiss until they both were lost in an array of emotion. She wrapped her arms around him pulling him close but a sudden knock on her chamber door made them both jump. He pulled away chuckling as he slipped his mask back into place.

"Uh…come…come in," she managed as she sat back down at her desk. In came Ino and she looked a mess. Her face was covered in scratches and she had a huge cut on her left leg that was bleeding.

"Lady…Hokage maam…"

"Oh my God! Ino?! What happened to you? Where are the others?" Tsunade asked quickly. Kakashi grabbed Ino and placed her on the desk while Tsunade proceeded to check her for internal injuries.

"Shika…Shikamaru devised a plan so that I could get away to get help. He…right now he has Kabuto stuck in his Shadow Possession Jutsu but I don't know how much longer he can hold it. Gaara is busy protecting Sakura but the situation…it's ugly maam. Orochimaru…he has Sasuke and Hinata under his control. He's…he's making Neji fight with Hinata but Neji is losing because he doesn't want to hurt her. In fact, he keeps trying to reason with her but he just can't seem to get through to her. On top of that, Kabuto did something to Naruto and so Naruto can't use his Shadow Clones. He's busy with Sasuke and every now and then Orochimaru will threaten to use his snakes, which has everyone jumpy except Gaara who has been using his sand shield for quite some time now. I don't know how much longer he can last either." Kakashi and Tsunade shot each other worried looks until the door burst open again. This time it was Shizune.

"Oh perfect timing. Shizune, I need you to go take care of Ino. Then I want you to hold my place until I return. If you see that good for nothing perve who calls himself the Toad Sage, tell him that we will be in Rain Village. Orochimaru is on the loose and I have to go and help. Get Ino to fill you in and brief Jiraiya when you see him. Kakashi let's get going."

--xx--

"Hinata…Hinata please. It's me…your cousin Neji. Please don't do this," Neji pleaded. All the same Hinata continued to stare at him with a blank look. The red in her eyes had now vanished but she was still matching him blow for blow with her gentle fist style._ If I don't be careful, she'll hit me and I'm done for. Whatever Orochimaru did, it's helped her taijutsu a whole lot._ Neji took a step back to gather himself but Hinata ran wildly at him swinging her kunai knife and tossing dozens of shurigans. _I have no choice…_

"ROTATION!" he yelled, twisting quickly sending Hinata flying backwards onto the ground.

"HEY NEJI! YOU BE CAREFUL MAN! YOU COULD HURT HER!" Shikamaru yelled. Neji turned to see him still struggling to hold Kabuto in his place.

"You can't keep me here forever you know. In fact, I'm willing to bet you may have a good five or six minutes left before your chakra is depleted," Kabuto joked.

"Yeah, well that's five or six minutes left that you're stuck here so be quite you loser. Man this is a drag. Neji, get a move on man!"

"I'm trying but…" he turned his attention back to Hinata who was now just laying there motionless. _Oh no…No, no, no…_He ran over towards her but a flash of light and a wave of flames blinded him sending him backwards. When he finally stood to his feet, he was no longer staring at Hinata but he was now face to face with someone he would rather have faced on another day.

"Sasuke?"

"Keep away from her or else I'll kill you."

--xx--

Kakashi and Tsunade hurried through the woods quickly trying to get to the Rain Village. At one point they were delayed by some rogue ninja who were probably sent by Orochimaru to slow them down. After several long minutes of this, Tsunade and Kakashi took off again and before they knew it they were standing at the two huge waterfalls that made the entrance into the Hidden Rain Village. Tsunade had been cut across the arm but she made quick work of both she and Kakashi's minor injuries. They stood in complete silence for a moment until Tsunade let out a huge sigh. Kakashi wrapped his arms around Tsunade's waist and planted a kiss on the back of her neck.

"Hey…don't worry. Everything's going to be just fine," he whispered softly. She turned to him and nodded before they both ran towards the entrance.

--xx--

Hinata awoke to the sound of screaming and shouting. _What the crap? Where am I?_ Hinata sat up straight and noticed that she was in a strange village. _Wait…what…huh?_ She looked around and saw a bunch of her fellow classmates in heated battles of their own. Shikamaru was straining trying to hold…Kabuto? Then she glanced around and saw Naruto passed out on the ground. Over to her far left she noticed that…could it be Sasuke and…Neji? _What's happening? What's going on?_ She looked around and saw her father approaching Naruto with a menacing look about him. _Is he going to…?_

"NARUTO! MOVE! FATHER WHAT ARE YOU…?" Hiashi turned and glared angrily at her before tossing kunai at her. Hinata tried to dodge them but it was too late. She was going to be hit. Right before impact a body jumped in front of her taking the hit for her but knocking them both back against a nearby village stand. When Hinata came to, she looked over her body and saw that it was…

"Neji! Oh my God! Neji!"


	29. Sasuke's Confession

**Sasuke's Confession**

Hinata quickly sat up and began checking her cousin out. The kunai had just missed his kidney but he was beginning to bleed very badly. He opened his eyes briefly and smiled up at her weakly before passing out.

"NO! NEJI PLEASE! DON'T….DON'T YOU DIE ON ME!" Hinata screamed. She quickly took off her shirt and ripped it into. Then she took the kunai that her father threw and began cutting off Neji's shirt. She tied both shirts together and began placing pressure on the wound. "Neji…Neji please…" she cried softly. She threw her arms across his body and while resting her head on his chest she began to cry. _Don't leave me Neji…I have no one else…Already I feel so alone…_

_----------------------- _

A loud scream caught Shikamaru's attention. He looked over in the far left of the terrain to see Hinata sprawled over Neji crying uncontrollably. _Oh no…Neji can't be…_He didn't have long to ponder for a kunai and some shurigan went flying over his head. _What the…?_

"Oh, I guess your chakra has run out genius so now it's time to die!" Kabuto yelled. His hands started to emit a green colored chakra as he ran at Shikamaru.

_Oh well…I guess it's the end for me…not enough strength to fight back…_ Shikamaru closed his eyes and embraced himself for impact but instead of getting hit he heard Kabuto let out a loud cry. Shikamaru opened his eyes and was immediately filled with relief. The Lady Tsunade and Kakashi were standing in front of him shielding him for Kabuto's attack.

"Well, well…not so tough now are we Kabuto," Kakashi teased. Kabuto stared at the jonin and the hokage angrily before a wide grin escaped his lips.

"What's so funny you little asshole?" Tsunade asked angrily.

"Oh nothing. It's just…I figured you would be more concerned about your students rather than wasting time with me. Let's see…oh yes…well, you have two best friends and students in the process of killing one another, a village elder in the process of killing his own daughter, and an outcast that's bleeding to death after being attacked by his own uncle. Wow. Some hokage you are," Kabuto stated coldly.

"Now, now Kabuto. No need to be so…dramatic," a voice hissed. Orochimaru came from out of nowhere now standing next to his loyal apprentice.

"YOU! I WILL FINISH YOU THIS TIME YOU JERK!" Tsunade yelled.

"We shall see…" Orochimaru and Tsunade both pricked their fingers wiping the blood in a straight line across their fingers. Simultaneously they began forming complicated hand signs.

"NINJA ART SUMMONING JUTSU!" they both screamed.

-------------

----

Gaara looked around and saw that things were starting to get worse. Worst of all, the building was starting to crumble and there was a giant snake and a giant snail in the middle of the room. He could now see the sky which was gray and dreary. It had begun to rain and it was starting to harden his sand shield. He looked around and saw that Naruto and Sasuke were still fighting but were both desperately trying to stay clear of the snake. Shikamaru on the other hand, was on top of a snail with Hinata and Neji heading out the back where a hole had been blown in the wall. He looked behind him and saw that Sakura was still crying. The only reason she had wanted to come along on this mission to begin with was so that she could try to help Naruto reason with Sasuke. Once again her efforts were in vain. He just laughed at her when she tried to explain to him that Orochimaru was no good. Nope. He wouldn't listen. Instead he gave a bunch of messed up reasons for working with Orochimaru; the number one reason being that he wanted to kill his brother. That of course was to be expected. In fact, Sakura went on to say that she supported his decision to kill Itachi and avenge his clan but…nothing could have prepared her for what he said next…

"_Sasuke…please…why won't you listen to reason? This same thing happened just a few years ago and we were able to get you back. You said that day that you were ok with not having power. You also promised me that you would do the right thing from now on. This…this is wrong Sasuke. Why can't you see that?"_

"_Sakura, you're such a pain in the ass sometimes. Look, I've already told ya that I am going to kill my brother no matter what it takes. If I have to eliminate or cut off ties with friends then that is what I must do."_

"_But we can do it together…I mean, let me help you this time. There are other ways to do this without Orochimaru's help."_

"_Orochimaru has the power I need to do the job and that is who I must serve to get it."_

"_But what about Kakashi? I know that he may not be as demented as your Lord Orochimaru but…"_

"_Kakashi's a loser. He'll never obtain what I've obtained unless he cuts you pathetic weaklings off."_

"_SASUKE, WILL YOU PLEASE LISTEN TO ME?! BE REASONABLE…"_

"_You guys don't care about me at all. All you care about is making sure that Naruto is protected because he's the important one. The nine tailed fox that resides in him gets him all the special attention. Well when Orochimaru's done with me, I'll have acquired power that will surpass that stupid foxes," he smirked. _

"_SASUKE! THAT'S…YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE! I'M HERE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU. I ALWAYS HAVE AND I AM PRETTY SURE THAT I ALWAYS WILL BUT THE OTHERS…THEY ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE APART OF THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE LEAVES AND WE WOULD NEVER EVER LEAVE A COMRADE BEHIND!" she screamed._

"_Sakura, I suppose there's no easy way to tell you this and at this point in time it really doesn't matter. You see, I know we were dating and all but I just…I don't think the connection was ever really there. In fact, I only went out with you so that you would stop stalking me like some love sick puppy. Anyway, now that you know that I don't love you, I suppose I should tell you that I'm really in love with someone else and when I am done avenging my clan, I will come back for her…my love…my…"_

"_JUST SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!" Naruto yelled. "ALL THIS WOMAN HAS EVER DONE IN HER LIFE IS LOVE YOU AND YOU DROP SOMETHING ON HER LIKE THIS? I COULD KILL YOU FOR THAT, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT HER! SASUKE!"_

"_Yeah, and I care about someone else. Is that a crime?"_

"_No," Naruto grumbled._

"_Alright then. So let's just drop it and get down to business."_

"_Sa…Sasuke?" Sakura whispered. Her head was lowered and she was staring at the ground sadly._

"_What now Sakura?" Sasuke grumbled._

"_If…since this is the end…the least you could do…I mean…I just want to know which girl achieved what I could not," she said softly._

"_Hinata Hyuuga."_

"Hey Sakura…we need to get going. The building is falling and we need not waste anymore time here," Gaara commanded.

"Oh…yeah. Ok." Gaara's sand formed a hovercraft and carried them out the building. Garra glanced over at Sakura who was no longer crying. In fact, she looked careless and a bit unconcerned. Gaara knew it was a front but he could not help but to admire her determination to hide her true feelings.

---------------

"Wow things are starting to get really ugly around here. What a drag," Shikamaru mumbled.

"Uh…yeah," Hinata whispered.

"Hey…cheer up princess. He's still breathing and as soon as we get back to Konoha he'll be in good hands." The snail carrying them was moving at top speed as if it were a wild rabbit. They had just exited the village gate when a group of rouge ninja appeared blocking their path.

"Oh damn. This is such a drag." Shikamaru glanced over at Hinata who was trembling with fear doing her best to cover her cousin. "Hinata, you and Neji go on ahead. Do you think you can manage?"

"But…but Shikamaru…"

"No buts Hinata. You have to get back to the village. It was Neji's orders that we do everything to get you back and that is what I'm doing. Now go." Shikamaru used his Shadow Possession to quickly trap his adversaries while the snail carrying Hinata and Neji eased on by. "Alright you losers. It's just you four against a lazy shirker. Show me what you got."

Sasuke watched as Hinata exited the building with her cousin and Shikamaru._I need to get to her…to say goodbye before I…_

"SASUKE!" Naruto ran at him swinging with a right cross before Sasuke dodged it and hit him in the stomach.

"Naruto you idiot! I haven't the time for this!"

"Then finish me off if you can," he teased.

"Fine!" Sasuke's level two curse mark appeared across his face while Naruto summoned the chakra of the nine tailed fox. "Naruto…that didn't work the last time we fought. What makes you think that it's going to work this time?" Sasuke asked chuckling.

"Because this time I can kill you and it won't even matter to me. What you did to Sakura…it was…and now you have sweet, innocent Hinata as your new playtoy? Man that's harsh!"

"YOU JUST SHUT UP NARUTO! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY FEELINGS FOR HINATA! I DON'T KNOW WHAT…I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED BUT…" Sasuke dropped to his knees and started pounding the ground furiously. Naruto just stood back and watched, his face softening clearly understanding what was happening with his former teammate.

"So you…you really…love her don't you?" Sasuke quit pounding the ground and stood up glaring angrily at Naruto. "Hey man…if you…DON'T GIVE ME THIS BULL SASUKE! IF YOU LOVE HER THEN WHY LEAVE HUH? WHY LEAVE THE ONE YOU TRULY LOVE JUST FOR REVENGE?!?"

"It's not your decision to make Naruto."

"FINE THEN!" Naruto disappeared causing Sasuke to gasp. He had only been conversing with a shadow clone. It was too late…

"RASENGAN!"

-----------------------

"Tsunade, you've really come a long way. I didn't think you'd be able to last this long."

"I am the hokage and like I said the last time that we met, I am putting my life on the line."

"Yes well now I grow tired of this fight. My chakra is almost depleted and I am pretty positive that yours is too. Why don't you let me go so we can both get on with our lives? Besides, I do believe your beloved has reached his peak as well." Tsunade turned her head and looked over the top of her snail. Kakashi was now lying on his back with Kabuto standing over him. _Oh no…_Tsunade quickly jumped down off of her snail and soon realized that it was a big mistake.

"OH TSUNADE? THANKS FOR LETTING ME GO. KABUTO AND I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN WHEN WE RETURN TO FINISH THE LEAF VILLAGE ONCE AND FOR ALL." Orochimaru and his snake both disappeared but Tsunade wasn't concerned about him. _Kakashi…_She ran towards Kabuto and grabbed him, throwing him into a big boulder only to watch him pop._Oh no…It was just a clone! _

"DAMN YOU OROCHIMARU!" Tsunade yelled.

"Hey…don't…don't you worry about him. We'll get them…"

"Kakashi! You're…tell me what he did to you," she cried. She leaned over and began checking him out.

"I can't move my legs…he…"

"He's messed up the nerves in your legs. I have to get you back to Konoha." She pricked another finger summoning another snail. She lifted Kakashi and placed him on top.

"Hey…I'm the one who should be lifting you" he joked.

"Hey stop that joking. You shouldn't be talking at all. You're hurt and I…" He reached up and caressed her cheek before pulling her head down. He lowered his mask and she took the opportunity to plant a kiss on his lips.

"Mmm…you should kiss me more often."

"Yeah, I probably should but I won't."

"We'll see after I get you alone," he smirked.

"Hmpf. Not if I don't let you. Anyway you go on ahead." She looked back to see Naruto and Hiashi both passed out on the ground. "I'm gonna get Naruto and Hiashi alright?"

"Alright. You be careful."

"I will." With one last kiss she sent him on his way back to the village.

--------------------

----

Hinata jumped when she felt Neji move his arm and let out a soft moan.

"Neji!"

"Hi…Hinata…I…"

"Shh…don't talk."

"Where are we?" he whispered.

"We're on our way back to Konoha. You've been badly injured and…" He quickly sat up and let out a low growl.

"What the hell are YOU doing here you traitor?"

"I just come to see my beloved before I leave."

* * *

**AN:** Ok. The end is nearer than you think. There will possibly be room left for a sequel but I assure you it won't be coming anytime soon. I have to get my grades back up this semester and lay off the writing although I will occasionally post for my other stories, especiallyInuyasha. Anyway, just a small warning--There are **major lemons** coming up in the next chapter. I have no idea how many of my next couple of chapters will have lemons but some will and they will be very LeMoNy. I try not to write very um…detailed lemons but it's usually whatever my mind wants at the time. Also I didn't rate this "M" for nothing. LOL Anyway, read…review…whatever. I'm out. Lots of love guys! Sorry about the late update but I just got back to school so bear with me. 


	30. A Passionate Taking

**  
**

"Sasuke! What are you…?" Hinata stammered.

"What the hell are you talking about Sasuke?" Neji demanded. He slid off of the snail and stood to face Sasuke. The bleeding had stopped but he was still very weak.

"I just come to say goodbye to Hinata. Is that so wrong? Gee, you and Naruto have outdone yourselves. Can you at least spare me the lecture?"

"Fine. But you haven't answered my question," Neji said sternly. "Why are you here and what the hell do you mean by 'my beloved'?" Sasuke just smirked as he made his way past Neji walking towards Hinata. He extended his hand to help her down off the snail but she just stared at him speechless and horrified.

"Come now princess. You know I'd never hurt you," he coaxed. She reluctantly took his hand and he helped her down. "See? That wasn't so bad now was it?" He kissed her hand before pulling her into a warm embrace. Neji just stood there and watched them, his face twisted up out of confusion. Were they lovers?

"Sasuke, I can't just let you walk away. My mission was to bring back the princess and do whatever it takes to get you back as well. I'd hate to have to hurt you but parading around here in front of me like this…you are pressing your luck," Neji said hotly.

"Uh…yeah…if you say so," he smirked. "Well I didn't really come here fight you. You're Hinata's cousin and I'd hate to hurt you but that's beside the point. Plus you really don't look like you're in any condition to fight so let's both be real here."

"Sasuke I don't understand…" Hinata started but Sasuke cut her off. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and placed a gentle kiss on her neck.

"Hinata, you remember the night at the hot spring don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"I told you that I was feeling something that I had never felt before. Well the only other feeling that comes to mind is love. There's not a second that goes by that I don't think of you."

"Sasuke that's bullshit and you know it. If you were so in love with my pri…with my cousin then why the hell did you hand deliver her to Orochimaru?" Neji snapped.

"I…I now realize that was a mistake but I swear to you that the first time I did it, I had no control over what I was doing. In fact, there's a whole lot that I don't remember about this trip. I was told by Kabuto that I had been drugged. Whatever I did that concerns Hinata, I truly am sorry, but I will not stand here and pretend that I don't want revenge on my brother. I am doing what I have to do to get to my brother and if that means leaving with Orochimaru then that is what I must do. You cannot fault me for that Neji," he stated coldly.

"Yeah you're right I can't because just like you I was willing to do whatever it took to get Hinata back and if she would have been killed then…but that's beside the point. If you love her…"

"Here we go again. I've already heard it once from Naruto. I am not in the mood nor do I have the patience to hear it again so spare me," he spat. He turned his attention back to Hinata who was now crying. Sasuke's heart sank as he lifted her chin to face a teary-eyed Hinata. "Please don't cry."

"I can't help it. I…I am so confused and scared right now that I don't know what to do."

"Don't be. I didn't come here to fight. I just…I needed to see you one last time before I left so that I could tell you that I…I love you," he whispered. Hinata shook her head in disbelief but Sasuke stopped her.

"I know that coming from me it seems unreal but you do something to me that Sakura or Ino never could and I know it's because I'm in love with you."

When Neji heard this his heart sank and the anger inside of him began to resurface. _Sasuke? In love with Hinata?_ It was an absurd thought but Neji couldn't deny that he had always suspected it. The thing that was really bothering him though was not the fact that Sasuke had a thing for his cousin. No, it was not knowing whether or not she loved him back. If she was also in love with Sasuke then he could pretty much hang everything up. _No…I should be happy for them. I could never have her…Hiashi would never let me have her…_

"Hinata, I really do love you and after I've killed Itachi, I will come back for you."

"But Sasuke…I'm to be…married soon and I…"

"If you and I are meant to be then when I return we will be together. I will take care of you, love you, protect you…" He stopped talking and then leaned over to whisper so that only she could hear. "Make love to you. My God…right now my only regret is that I didn't make love to you when I had the chance. You set me on fire and if Neji wasn't around I swear I'd take you right now."

He started planting fevered kisses on her neck and she let out a low moan that caught Neji's attention. He watched as Sasuke kissed his cousin's neck and then covered her mouth with his own. Neji could feel his face burning and even though he wished he could run away, his body would not allow it. His legs were cut and his head was pounding. _But still…I cannot not watch this…_ He motioned for the snail to come and get him. The snail sank under the ground before quietly reappearing underneath him. Without a sound Neji and the snail were on their way back to Konoha leaving Sasuke and Hinata behind.

--------------

"Sasuke…we can't…Neji…" He pulled away from her and looked around. Neji was gone. _When did he…?_

"He's gone." Hinata turned around and using her Byakugan she scanned the area through the forest and down the path. He was nowhere to be found.

"I guess he went back to the village."

"I'm sorry…Sasuke I have to go. I…what if he's passed out somewhere?" Sasuke pulled Hinata into another warm embrace and kissed the top of her head.

"He's got the snail," he murmured.

"Oh…oh yeah…well…I guess I…"

"Come with me," he whispered. "Hold on tight." She held on tight as he ran up a nearby tree using his chakra. Then he hopped from branch to branch through the forest until they were just about to reach one of the many forests of Konoha. He jumped down a few seconds later in front of a lake. There was a small lakehouse nearby and Sasuke motioned for her to follow him inside.

Once inside, Hinata was surprised to see that it looked very nice for a lake house. In fact, it was decorated so beautifully that Hinata could have sworn someone was living in it. There was a large white tiger rug in the floor complimented by a white leather living room set. There were beautiful peace lilies in the back corners of the room and a huge chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. On the left was a small kitchen area and white marble dinner table not too far from it.

"It belonged to my parents some time ago. Everything is just the way it was left years ago. Shizune comes by to clean it every now and then." Hinata turned to Sasuke and let out a sigh.

"This is beautiful Sasuke…but…I just can't…I mean, I am wrestling with so many feelings right now. On one hand, there's a chance that I could be in love with you too but then another part of me is…saying something else," she replied softly. That something else was Neji, her own cousin, but she couldn't tell him that. For starters she had no idea how she would explain it and then there was the fact that she had no clue as to how she actually felt. It was just one giant emotional rollercoaster and Hinata was ready for the ride to end. Sasuke walked up to her and cupped her face.

"I don't care if you love me back right now. I just wanted you to know that even if you get stuck marrying some jerk then you've got one guy out there that genuinely loves you and will do anything in the world for you. I know my leaving seems cruel but if I don't do this then I will never be at peace with myself." Hinata listened to his words before finally cracking a smile.

"I…I understand how you feel and if this is what you want to do then I will pray for your fight along with a safe return. I don't like how you are going about this but I understand that if you're losing sleep at night then you have to do whatever it takes to make things right in your heart. I…I can't promise you that I…but you'll always have me as a friend no matter what happens." She grinned and Sasuke's eyes widened with surprised before he managed to quickly close them. _She understands me…I wasn't expecting…_He was trying his best not to cry but a small tear managed to escape and slid right down his cheek.

"Sasuke?" she whispered.

"Hinata I've never been this comfortable showing my feelings to someone but I…God you're so perfect." He leaned over and kissed her lips sending her into a daze. As he kissed her lips, his hands wandered over her back playfully tugging at her bra. His lips made their way to her cheek then once again to her neck making her go weak in the knees. He unhooked her bra and pulled away watching it as it hit the rug. Her face immediately turned pink and he just chuckled. He ran his hand up her tummy slowly until he reached her breasts squeezing each one gently before lowering his mouth and covering her right breast.

"Sas…uke?" she whimpered.

"Mmm…very nice," he whispered. He sat down on the rug pulling her down beside him. "You're so beautiful and sweet. Let me show you how much I love you." He rolled over on top of her and starting at her neck, trailing gentle kisses down her body. Her nipples had grown hard and very erect which made Sasuke smile. He took one breast in his mouth and the other he caressed gently as he listened to Hinata's sweet moans.

"Oh, Sasuke…" But he cut her off by covering her mouth again, putting his tongue deep in her mouth driving her insane. His hands began to wander down her sides until he reached her shorts. He slid down her half-naked body slowly until he reached her feet. He lifted her legs in the air slowly as he tugged the shorts off of her body leaving only her pretty red underwear behind. He stared at them for a second taking in how beautiful they looked on her until he finally decided to slide them off as well. Her face turned a deeper shade of red as he ran his hands up her smooth legs and to her thighs.

"Sasuke…I…"

"You know what's coming beautiful," he said softly as his hands climbed higher and higher until they reached that place in between. "But not just yet." He grabbed both legs and slowly pulled her body closer until his mouth was just inches away from her womanhood. He grinned before covering her with his mouth tasting her sweetness. Hinata moaned and called out his name several times as he continued to pleasure her with his tongue. She raised her legs trying to get away but Sasuke held on until the orgasm hit her forcing her to cry out.

He stood up and dropped his pants on the floor before climbing on top of her and parting her legs. She wrapped her arms around him as he plunged inside of her taking her…feeling her…She moaned with pleasure as he moved back and forth in a steady rhythm. When she arched her back to receive more of him, he picked up the pace plunging deeper and deeper inside of her until they both reached their peak and cried out. He rolled over and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her.

"Thank you," he whispered softly. They laid there on the floor cuddled up but it wasn't long before Hinata was fast asleep.

* * *

**AN:**_Um…told ya? Yes, I had a friend help with the lemon so don't think I'm just a closet perve like Ebisu but I did warn you. o.O Uh…yeah so stick around for the next chapter or so to see how things end. Review! That is all._


	31. Friends and Lovers

Neji opened his eyes and found himself face to face with Shikamaru. He tried to sit up but he felt dizzy and decided that he best stay in bed. He looked around the room and noticed that he was in the hospital.

"Shikamaru what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? I came here to see a friend…or are we not friends anymore?"

"No…I…I'm sorry. You'll have to forgive me but it's going to take a while for me to get used to having friends. As you know, I've never really had any," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. That's cool man. So…how you feeling?"

"Uh…dizzy," he laughed.

"Yeah, it's a wonder that you could even open your eyes. Man, they gave you so many drugs that it was unreal."

"I didn't figure I was that badly injured," he frowned.

"You lost a lot of blood man and at one point we all thought you were a goner. Hinata took it the hardest. She sat here and watched you for two whole days until Tsunade tricked her into taking a sleeping potion and sent her home. She hasn't left her room since.

"So…so how long have I been…I mean, I couldn't have been out…"

"You've been out cold for almost a week now. You would wake up every now and then the first two days but each time you were awake, you would cry out in pain and Tsunade would put you back to sleep. She said something about an artery that had been cut so she had to repair it. Now that you're awake you should be alright now. I heard her telling Shizune that they would release you once you were strong enough to walk again.

"Yeah well at the moment I'm too dizzy to do anything. So um…whatever happened to Oro, Kabuto and…Sasuke?"

"Well, Tsunade has been in a right foul mood. Oro tricked her into thinking Kabuto was going to kill Kakashi and when she went to rescue him, Oro took off and the Kabuto that was threatening Kakashi turned out to be a clone. The real one took a hit from Kakashi's Lightening Blade and took off before Kakashi could finish him off.

"Ok…so then what happened to everyone else?"

"Well…" Shikamaru scratched his head and let out a sigh. "Sakura took it pretty hard when she found out that Sasuke had taken off again. She's been in a daze lately, but the time she's been spending with Gaara and Lee ought to do her some good. Let's see…oh yeah, some red-head has also been watching you. Don't know her name but I hear she's going back to her village soon."

"Lita."

"Yeah that's her…I guess. Anyway, other than that all is good. Of course you know nothing fazes Naruto. He's pissed off at Sasuke but he's been over at Hinata's for _hours _trying to get her to come out of her room but she won't bulge. Your uncle is worried about her which reminds me—he wants to see you as soon as possible. He's also here in the hospital but he's in that special room that you were in after your fight against Kidomaru."

"Damn. I have to…" Neji sat up and shook his head. "I have to get going…"

"Not until you've eaten, taken your medicine, and showered." He looked up to see Lita standing over him with a tray full of food.

"Hey, I'm going to give you two some time alone," Shikamaru said standing to his feet. "I need to go find Naruto anyway. He owes me money." When Shikamaru left, Lita placed the tray on Neji's bedside table and took a seat in the chair next to him.

"Lita. It's…How have you been?"

"I've been ok…worried sick about a lot of things but that's not important now. It's good to see you awake again. For the longest time I thought…" She turned away and stared out the window. Neji grabbed a hand and clasped it into his own.

"Thank you…for everything. If it wasn't for you then my family and friends would have died."

"I should be thanking you and your entire village. They helped rid my village of some terrible people. My father was killed by Orochimaru and so was Kilik. He…even though he was a bad guy he was my brother and I will miss him. Kendrik and I have to see that that the village is taken care of so I will be leaving sometime today."

"Oh…well, I wish you and your brother the best of luck. Find me before you take off alright? It's impolite to leave without saying goodbye."

"I will. You bet I will." She stood to leave but stopped suddenly when she reached the door. "Neji?"

"Yes?"

"I'll miss everyone in this village but you…I'll miss you most of all." She smiled sadly before heading out the door leaving Neji to his thoughts.

Neji leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. He now had some decisions he needed to make. They were all no longer avoidable and if he didn't make them soon he was going to lose and lose big. Three women. All very beautiful and yet there was only one that he was completely head-over-heels in love with, but…he couldn't have her, not openly anyway and he knew that. So that left just two others, both whom were very beautiful and possessed at least one quality that he was in love with that cancelled out the other annoying qualities. Tenten had been his teammate ever since he was a genin. Now that he was a chunin and acting jonin from time to time, she was still always on his team or volunteering to help with his missions. For a long time he was in denial about her feelings for him but the more he thought about things that have happened between them, the more he realized that she very well could possibly be in love with him and he just might feel the same. The one situation that stood out the most was an incident that happened in the Forest of Death. Two rogue ninja named Chu and Kazu had managed to get beyond the village gate and tried to make off with stolen goods. He and Tenten were in the forest at the time and things got interesting…

---

"Alright you two bastards. Let me show you what my Byakugan is capable of."

"Oh won't you now?" Chu tossed several kunai at him but Neji used his rotation sending the weapons flying back at him cutting him all over.

"Oh…dammit…I…I can't move!" Chu screamed falling to his knees.

"And you will do well to just stay put otherwise I'll have to finish you off," Neji grinned walking towards him with rope to tie him up. Before he had time to react, Tenten had pushed him aside and he was falling onto the ground.

"Tenten what in the world…?" When she had pushed him over, she fell on top of him. He sat up and rolled her over only to find that she was bleeding. "Tenten? What…?"

"That…there's another one…he tried to hit you from behind but I…"

"You…you saved me?" Neji asked, holding her head up.

"Yes…I knew you weren't using your…" She started coughing up blood and Neji could feel himself getting angry. Tears started forming in his eyes but she shook her head.

"Stop crying. That's not…the Neji…I know…and care about." She closed her eyes and passed out. She had already depleted most of her chakra because they both had been training earlier that day. Even so, Neji was pissed. His Byakugan at the ready, his eyes flashed dangerously and he stared down his adversaries.

"You all will die!" Both ninjas ran at him from opposite sides but he countered their attacks using his rotation. Then he threw a shurigan cutting one of them across the neck and the other he sliced off his arms.

"Neji! I came as soon as I heard…what the hell happened here?" Guy asked.

"Nothing. I got them."

"But…I never knew you to be so…brutal…Oh no! Tenten! I need to get her…"

"I'll do it. You just take care of those guys before I finish what I started," he said coldly as he scooped Tenten up and carried her off to the hospital.

It didn't take the hospital long to patch her up. He waited for them to finish and he walked her home, both of them walking in complete silence. When they reached her home, she turned to him and threw her arms around him.

"Neji…you have no idea…I am so happy that you waited for me…" she cried.

"Why wouldn't I? You're my teammate and I could have killed those bastards that hurt you."

"Oh…well…still, I'm glad you…" She pulled away and smiled up at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," he grinned. She grabbed his chin and pulled his head down, covering his mouth with her own. He returned the kiss passionately, pushing her up against the wall of her home. She ran her fingers down the small of his back sending a chill through his body that he just couldn't ignore.

"Tenten…are we…"

"I want you Neji," she said earnestly, hungrily looking up at him.

"But you just got out of the hospital and…I don't want to hurt you."

"I'll be alright," she whispered. "Please…right now I…I need you."

He hesitated for a moment but when she pulled him inside the door he knew there was no turning back. She led him up a small set of stairs and to a door on the right. Her room was decorated in all pink and her bed looked so inviting but they would not be using the bed. She closed the door behind them and pulled him towards her.

"Are you certain…?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt you and right now I don't know what I'm feeling so I can't make any promises about anything and…I just…"

"Neji, I don't care what happens between us tomorrow. All that matters is right now. Despite what the future holds for the both of us whether we're together or apart I will still care for you no matter what."

"If you're sure…" She slid her hands up his shirt feeling the hardness of his abs, working her way up to his nipples pinching them forcing a low growl to escape his lips. She grabbed his shirt and slid it over his head so that she could marvel at his bare chest. She didn't have long to gawk for he inched closer pressing her body against the wall with his own, leaning over planting a kiss on her neck. She inhaled his scent deeply as his tongue trailed up her neck and to her ear. His hands wandered up her shirt, cupping her breasts and gently squeezing them.

"Neji…" she pleaded longingly and he lost control. He pulled away so he could grab her shirt and rip it apart revealing a pretty pink bra that he unhooked in mere seconds exposing her breasts. He lowered his mouth and teased each breast, making circles with his tongue around each nipple.

"Neji…please…" She grabbed his pants and unhooked them, jerking them down to the floor. His boxers went with them, revealing his hardness that was aching to be inside of her. She clasped it in her hand caressing it, driving him further insane. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her in the air. She wrapped her legs around him as he pinned her to the wall. He gave her one last chance to say no but when he felt her wiggle underneath him he grabbed her right leg, locking it in place as he thrust inside of her.

"Oh Neji…please…don't stop…don't stop…" she moaned as he continued to move within her…

* * *

**AN:**_LEMONS! Gahh, I hate writing lemons but since most of you love lemons then enjoy you perverted lemoners LOL The end is surely nearer. Yes, I have a few chapters left…maybe two…three at the most…so review review review and I might consider writing a sequel before I'm old and gray. Love you guys! Laterz_. 


	32. Hospital Revelations

"Neji? NEJI!?"

"What?!?! Huh?!?!" Neji quickly sat up only to find himself face to face with Shikamaru again, who was now wearing a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

"Man…that must have been some dream you had a while ago."

"Huh? I…I don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled. He could feel his skin turning hot, but he was determined to keep cool.

"Yeah whatever man. So tell me," he whispered, "when did you and Tenten become a pair?"

"Huh? What makes you think…?"

"You were twisting and turning, moaning her name…you guys had sex and I want to know the circumstances. We're friends now and I want to know otherwise I'll just go ask Tenten myself," he grinned.

"Uh…well…Shikamaru if I wasn't dizzy I'd kill you myself," Neji said angrily.

"Hey, you can't get mad at me. You're the one who was moaning her name in your sleep. So tell me what's up? Do you love her or did you guys just have a fling?" Neji leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes.

"I don't know Shika. We…I made love to her but only upon her request. Once she got me in the house…I just…but things happened that day that opened my eyes about some things that I'm still not quite sure about. I mean, I care for her deeply and it really hurt me that day to see her hurt. I enjoyed making love to her, hearing her moan with my every thrust." At this point Shikamaru coughed and stared at Neji wide-eyed.

"Damn bro. I didn't figure you'd go into details."

"Well you wanted to know so just close your mouth and listen."

"Alright."

"Well, I was doing some serious thinking after you left the room. I have decided that I need to make some major decisions about…people."

"O…kay."

"Cut the act Shikamaru! I know you know what's going on with me. You're not stupid," he snapped.

"Yeah, I know but I was just trying to get you to admit it."

"Yeah well I'm in love with my own cousin, I may have feelings for Tenten, and to make matters worse, that Lita woman is starting to get to me."

"How can that be if the only woman you want to be with is Hinata?"

"BECAUSE I CAN'T HAVE HER AND SHE'S IN LOVE WITH SASUKE!" he yelled.

"Whoa…come again?"

"You heard me," he grumbled.

"But…ok…wait a sec. Hinata…in love with Sasuke? It doesn't make sense. I knew he had a thing for her but…"

"WAIT A SECOND. YOU KNEW?!!"

"I didn't think he was actually serious! Come on, it's Sasuke. When has he ever been serious about anybody?"

"Yeah, well you should have seen him with Hinata a few days ago. He was all over her as though they were lovers." Neji gripped his sheets trying to calm his nerves as he recalled what he saw between Sasuke and Hinata.

"_Sasuke I don't understand…" Sasuke wrapped his arms around her tighter and placed a gentle kiss on her neck._

"_Hinata, you remember the night at the hot spring don't you?"_

"_Yes, but…"_

"_I told you that I was feeling something that I had never felt before. Well the only other feeling that comes to mind is love. There's not a second that goes by that I don't think of you."_

"He…he said all of that stuff to her?"

"Yeah…he did." Neji reached over and grabbed an apple off of his bedside table. He took a bite and lay back down. This time his mind wandered from Hinata and Sasuke to Lita. Such a beautiful young red-head. The more he thought about her the more he began to think that he could possibly grow to love her. It would take some time but he was sure that it was possible. After all, he was pretty confident that she cared for him too.

"Neji?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you going to do?"

"That's entirely up to Hinata. I can't make uncle understand my feelings for her. He'll just flip out like he did when he heard that I…kissed her. As for Sasuke, if he is truly in love with her then if he somehow manages to escape Oro's influence, he will return. Even if I am with Hinata, what happens to us when he returns?"

"Good point. Want my advice?"

"Not really but you're going to give it anyway."

"That I am. Go to her."

"Who?"

"Hinata?"

"Why bother if she wants Sasuke?"

"Because you don't know for sure. If she doesn't give you a straight answer then you are free to do as you wish."

"I just…even if Hinata says yes what about uncle? You know he'd never approve."

"Is she worth fighting for?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then you fight for what you want. If you love her like you say you do and she loves you back then I say you fight for her. I know that I'm a lazy bum who'd rather just stay in a corner and watch the clouds, but I know when there's something worth fighting for and when I fight, I put every ounce of energy into it." Shikamaru stood up and headed for the door. "I expect a briefing later on…or whenever you do what you do." He closed the door behind him leaving Neji all alone again.

------------------

Hinata sat on her bed listening to Naruto pound on the door as she read and re-read the letter Sasuke left her.

_Dear Hinata,_

_Words cannot describe how you just made me feel. I'll never forget_

_how soft your lips were, how sweet you tasted, or your sweet moans as_

_I took you as my own. I know you are probably upset because I left you. I had_

_every intention of waiting til you were awake but I was summoned and had to _

_leave right away. Plus, I did not want anyone to find us together. I can't even imagine_

_the trouble I would have caused you if they knew about us and I just could not risk that._

_I'd never forgive myself if you were hurt. I know this letter isn't much but I just had to_

_let you know that I did not abandon you. I left because I had to and because of you and_

_the person you are, I now have a reason to live. Before I sat down and got to know you,_

_I felt alone. I know Sakura was there for me and something in my heart tells me that she'll always be there, but you understood what she did not and I thank you for that. I_

_love you Hinata and I always will. If you do find someone that loves you and cares for you like I do, marry him but only if you love him in return. The worst feeling is to love_

_someone and not be loved in return…or vice versa. Married or not I vow to return to you_

_someday and hopefully you'll love me as I love you. Take care princess and remember to_

_smile._

_Forever Yours,_

_**Sasuke Uchiha**_

Hinata folded up the letter and broke down into tears. It had been like this ever since Sasuke left. Everytime she read the letter it always made her cry. Sasuke had been a jerk when they were coming up but now that she knew the loving side of Sasuke, she was more confused emotionally than ever before. Was it possible to be in love with two completely different people? The wisest thing for her to do would be to forget about them both. One she was convinced her father would never approve of and the other she feared for his life. _What do I do? What do I do?_

"Hey Hinata! It's me Shikamaru. Open up. I sent Naruto home. I want to talk with you about something."

"Just go away," she cried.

"Oh alright then. I guess I'll talk with you later, but I come to tell you that your father wants a word with you."

"Oh…well…okay. Shi…Shikamaru?"

"Yes princess?"

"Will you…will you walk with me?"

"Yeah sure. You know I will," he grinned through the door. "I'll wait for you to clean yourself up and you just meet me outside when you're ready."

---

---

Minutes later they arrived back at the hospital. Shikamaru walked Hinata to her father's room but left her at the door.

"Well this is your stop. I have to get back and go to the market. Choji ran out of apples and his mom won't let him get any until he learns some new jutsu. Man parents are a drag. See you later princess." She thanked him before taking a deep breath and walking into the special Hyuga room to see her father.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Neji already there. He was kneeled in front of her father, head bent low as though he were in trouble. Hinata walked towards them and took her place next to Neji and kneeled down too.

"You wanted to see me father?" she asked weakly. He smiled down at her as he took another sip of his sake.

"Yes, I wanted to speak with you…the both of you…together." Neji's head shot up and he cast his uncle a curious glance. _What is he playing at? It would be in his best interest to let whatever charade he's planning go out the window. I will not hold my tongue today._

"Uh…about what?" Hinata asked weakly. She hadn't the strength to look him or Neji in the eye for fear that they might be able to read her mind.

"First of all, I wanted to apologize to you two. Hinata, I'm sorry about Kilik and the way things turned out. I should have taken more time to get to know the boy as well as his family. If I would have done my job as a father then none of this mess would have happened in the first place. Neji, I owe you an apology too. After all that you and I went through these past years, you still did as you were told, respected me, and after all the things I said or did to you, you came back to rescue us."

"Why wouldn't I? We're family," he grumbled.

"Yes, I know…" He took another sip of his sake and let out a sigh. "Even so Neji I still get the feeling that something is bothering you. You want to tell me what it is?"

"Uh…" He chanced a glance at Hinata but she did not look up. Her head was down and she was staring at the floor lost in thought._ Hinata…a sign…give me something…please…_She finally looked up and met his eyes but turned away just as quickly. Neji let out a sigh before facing his uncle again. "No. Nothing. I'm fine. I just…I was thinking about Lita. I have to…see her off before she leaves and then I have to pay a visit to Tenten." Hinata looked over at Neji but he turned away staring intently at Hiashi.

"I…well I've said my piece. I wish you two would open up to me. How can we be a family if we don't communicate?"

"Communicate huh?" Neji asked with a frown. "Yeah well I've been communicating for a long time but it would seem that my efforts were all in vain."

"What have you been trying to get across to me Neji?" Neji just scoffed before standing to his feet.

"Even if I told you it wouldn't matter. I've already lost the thing in which I held to be the most precious of all."

"Neji, it's never too late to communicate. Tell me what's bothering you!"

"Good night uncle. It's good to see that you are doing well. Oh and princess, don't stay out too late. You never know who could be watching."

* * *

**AN:**_Fluff and smutt…man…is that all I'm good for lately? Gahh…Poor Neji…Poor Hinata…Poor Sakura…Poor Sasuke…Poor Oro…Yeah I said poor Oro. He was just starting to like Hinata. –sigh- Well, some of you may be upset with me about Sasuke but you knew it was bound to happen…but is it really over? You'll just have to wait and see. Now review or else I'll wait weeks before I post the next chapter. Bwahahaha. Hey. Give me a break. It's 2 am and I just got through watching Harry Potter. I'm feeling evil. o.O_


	33. A Grim Situation

_I never know who could be watching? Where have I heard that?_

"Hinata?"

"Yes father?" For that few seconds she was lost again. Whatever Neji said as he was leaving had triggered something in her brain but for some reason she couldn't pick up on it and it was driving her insane. She did not need to be dwelling on something like this when there were so many other complicated issues that needed solving.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She thought about lying to him and just holding all her real feelings in but for some reason, watching Neji walk out the door without a thought or care made her want to run after him…but…but why she wondered. "Hinata?"

"Father I…" She looked around wildly, desperately trying to find a way to bail but her body wouldn't move and all the emotions that she had spent days trying to compress all started bubbling up to the point where she wanted to scream.

"Hinata? Hinata please talk to me," her father pleaded. He put away his drink and slid out of his chair onto the floor next to his daughter. He pulled her into a hug and just rocked her back and forth as she sobbed. He began to sob too.

"Hinata…baby please…you need to tell me what's going on," he pleaded.

"Daddy I can't…take this anymore! I don't ever want to be this emotionally confused ever again!"

"Tell me…go ahead and let it all out," he whispered as he continued to rock her, trying his best to calm her down.

"I don't…I'm not ready to be married. I never was but you insisted that I take my place as rightful heir to the Hyuga throne. I…I understand that this is the destiny that was given to me when you were born first but I don't want it anymore father! I don't want to be heir if it means giving up on real love! I never loved Kilik and I just feel so guilty now that he's dead…" She pushed away from him and ran to the door but he stopped her in her tracks using a paralysis jutsu. He slowly approached her and sat down on the ground.

"FATHER! LET ME GO! I WANT TO JUST…I NEED TO GET AWAY!"

"Hinata, if you keep running away then you'll never get anywhere. Go ahead and tell me how you feel. I won't get mad …I'd rather you tell me how you really feel than for you to just keep running away from me and keeping things from me. I don't like being in the dark! I love you with all my heart and I…Hinata, you have to understand that I am doing my best. It's hard…it's hard taking care of you without…your mother." His voice trailed off and there was a long pause before either of them spoke up again.

"I just…I just wish you would have more faith in me father. You treat me sometimes as if I am an idiot. Just because I keep my feelings buried all the time doesn't mean I'm stupid. For instance you…you chose Kilik to be my husband without even talking to me about it first! Do you…DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT MOM WOULD HAVE PULLED SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!?!" she yelled, trying to get out of that jutsu.

"No, but princess I was only doing…"

"What you thought was best right? You know father, the real reason you never know what I'm feeling is because you never take the time to listen. You ask and I respond but you never listen and lately all you've been concerned with is making sure the Hyuga legacy lives on rather than taking care of your 'princess'."

"Hinata…"

"No, this time I am doing all of the talking. Father, you have no idea what's been going on inside my head. When I found out that…Kilik had been killed I was a wreck. I still have no idea what happened to me these past few days. All I know is what Naruto told me and I am scared to death. I have this…this mark on my neck and then there's the guilt I feel. I think I love one person but then it's possible that I'm in love with another and I just…can't…"

Hinata was out of breath at this point and she just couldn't say anymore. Her father lifted the jutsu and watch as she collapsed onto the floor, her eyes closed and her body lay motionless. Hiashi watched as weird marks formed around her neck then spread to her arms and legs. He scooped her into his arms and headed for the hokage's office.

-------------------------

Tsunade was standing by her desk looking out the window when she felt a pair of hands embrace her around the waist.

"Why don't you get you some rest Lord Hokage?" She let out a sigh of relief when she heard Kakashi's voice. She turned to face him, throwing her arms around him.

"I want to…but I can't. There's so much I need to do and I feel so…guilty…"

"You can't keep beating yourself up. You've known Orochimaru longer than any of us…"

"It's not just him, it's…the kids. All of them…look so down lately. There's something going on with each of them and I wish to God I could help them all. I have a general idea of what's bothering a few of them but then there are others that I'm just not sure about." A second later the door burst open making Tsunade jump.

"Hiashi!" she exclaimed. "What can I do for you?" She looked and saw the grim expression on his face as he carried Hinata to her desk. He laid her down then took a seat in the recliner next to her.

"Tsunade…I don't…she's…" Tsunade had already begun checking her out. There was dead silence for the next couple of minutes until Tsunade finally spoke up.

"Hiashi…Hinata is very sick. The curse mark that Orochimaru put on her is…well I'm not sure. I think the curse may have been too strong for her but like Sasuke, she is going to have to live with it for the rest of her life. That being said, at the moment her life could be in grave danger. If she is not emotionally strong enough to wear down the curse then she's going to have a time making the curses power recede. Does she know…about Kilik?"

"I…don't know. She said Naruto told her some stuff but I…God Tsunade, where did I go wrong?" Hiashi hid his face in his hands and began to cry.

"You did nothing wrong Lord Hiashi. Orochimaru had this planned. Hinata…her curse mark is slightly different than Sasuke's. You see, his curse mark feeds on the need for power whereas hers feeds on emotional stress. At the time when she killed Kilik, she must have experienced something that threw her for a loop emotionally. I can't say what it was but I'm almost positive that was the case which led to his death. Anyway, I'd like to keep her here so that I can…"

"**No! I…I have…how could you leave me Sasuke…I thought…you loved me…**" Hinata moaned. Hiashi and Kakashi both rushed to her side, holding her down on the desk. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be in some sort of strange dream state.

"Hinata, wait. You need to rest…" Hiashi pleaded.

"No…guys…leave her be. She…can't hear you. This is…this is good. She's in a coma but not really. Her body seems to be fighting the curse and by doing this, she is being forced to let out things…emotional events from the past few days that have been bothering her," Tsunade said quickly.

"**NO! I…I don't want to lose him…I can't lose him…**" she murmured before passing out again.

"Sa…Sasuke?" Kakashi whispered. "Sasuke…in _love_? Lose…lose who?"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing but that could explain why Sakura's been acting so strange lately. If he did in fact tell Hinata he was in love with her then that's a major source of all the uneasiness that I've been feeling this past week," Tsunade replied thoughtfully. "In any event, I think we all should just hang around to see what other info she decides to reveal. Oh and not a word of this to her when she wakes up or I'll beat the both of you myself." Kakashi and Hiashi looked at one another and shrugged.

"Whatever you say Lord Hokage," Kakashi said chuckling.

"**NEJI! NO! NEJI DON'T LEAVE ME! YOU CAN'T DIE ON ME! YOU SAID…YOU SAID YOU'D ALWAYS PROTECT ME!**" Hinata screamed. All of them just stared at one another as Hinata continued to shriek and moan until Tsunade walked off with her head hanging low.

"Lord Hokage?" Hiashi squeaked. "She's not…going to die is she?" he asked nervously.

"Huh? No…no she'll live she's just…that Orochimaru. All he did was make things worse for her!" she said angrily. She began to pace the room racking her brain for some inkling of medical knowledge that would help her alleviate Hinata's pain. In the next instant, Hinata's body began to shake violently. Kakashi rushed to her side and held her body as she twisted and turned violently. A slip of paper fell out of Hinata's shirt pocket before her body went tranquil again. Kakashi tossed the paper to Tsunade.

"You read it. You're probably the only one who could make sense of it anyway." Tsunade opened the piece of paper and read it aloud.

_You should know better than to be out_

_alone at night princess. By the way, you_

_sing beautifully._

_Xoxoxo_

The way the note was crumpled up it would seem as if Hinata had been carrying that paper around for a long time. Tsunade stared at the piece of paper for the longest of times until it finally dawned on her.

---

"_I have to save them. I know it's a long shot but I can't just sit here and do nothing. Lady Tsunande please…"_

"_Neji, I can't. It's too dangerous. We have to wait on the other jonin."_

"_BUT BY THEN IT MAY BE TOO LATE! I'LL KILL HIM…IF HE TOUCHES HER I SWEAR…I'm sorry for yelling but you have to let me go on ahead."_

_--- _

"Neji," she whispered.

"Huh? What did you say?" Kakashi asked.

"Uh…" She ran a hand through her hair before turning to them. "I'll be back. Stay here and watch her. Fill me in on anything that comes from her mouth while I'm away."

"But…but where are you going?" Hiashi asked.

"To find the man who can put an end to this and maybe save her life."

"But I thought you said she was going to live?" Hiashi wimpered.

"She won't if she stays like this forever."

-------------------------

Neji and Lita walked in silence to the Leaf Village gate. When they finally arrived at the gate, Lita just stood there silent. Neji walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close.

"God…Neji…" she cried. He turned her around to face him and he smiled.

"Hey…every thing is going to be alright. You and Kendrik are more than capable of getting your village back in shape."

A tear fell down her cheek making him feel slightly guilty. He leaned over and brushed it away with his lips. Her eyes closed as he trailed soft kisses down her cheek and then to her lips, kissing her passionately before embracing her in a warm hug.

"No more tears Lita. Crying doesn't become you," he whispered in her ear. She laughed and pushed away from him, grinning from ear to ear.

"You know I'm going to miss you."

"And I will miss you. Take care of yourself. You did a lot for me and my village so I owe you one."

"I'll keep that in mind. Bye handsome!" Neji watched as she rushed off through the gate back towards her village. He was kind of sad that she was leaving. He had become attached to her in a weird way so it felt odd watching her leave, but there was at least one good thing that came out of it. After kissing her just now, he at least knew that he wasn't in love with her. All that could change however,_unless…_He glanced down at his watch and smiled. He had one more stop he needed to make before he could get on with his life.

---

---

Neji found Tenten sitting in the forest under her favorite tree reading a book. Her hair was hanging freely and beautifully as the wind whipped through it gracefully. She looked up when she heard him step on an acorn and smiled.

"Neji! You're alright!" she exclaimed. She stood up and ran to him, throwing her arms around him excitedly.

"Yes I am. It feels good to be out of that stuffy hospital. I don't know why they kept me there for so long. They should know by now that I don't like being confined to a place full of sickness and despair." Tenten giggled shaking her head.

"It's good to have good old grumpy Neji back." She planted a kiss on his cheek and offered him a seat next to her on the ground.

"Sure. Why not? What are we reading?" He sat down next to her and threw an arm around her so that they both would be comfortable while reading.

"An Inuyasha/Kikyou story."

"Oh no. Not you too. You read fanfiction about that mangy mutt too?"

"How would you know that he's called a mangy mutt unless you've read some of it yourself?"

"Uh…okay you got me," he laughed. She stared at him for the longest time with a huge grin on her face. "What? Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No…no…I just…You seem so…"

"Relaxed?"

"Yeah. What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's just…with everything that's happened the last few days it's opened my eyes to a lot of things."

"Like what?"

"Well…for starters, I realize that life is short. You just never know when you're going to lose someone that you care for forever. That being said, I promise to do better and pay closer attention to how I treat my friends." Before Tenten had a chance to respond, Tsunade and Lee appeared out of nowhere causing them both to jump.

"Whoa. Lady Tsunade...I mean...Lord Hokage! Lee!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hey Tenten…Neji…It's so good to have you back comrade!" Lee exclaimed.

"It feels good to be back Lee. Lord Hokage, what brings you here?" he asked frowning.

"Neji, I need you to come with me. Tenten…Lee…he'll catch you guys later." Neji waved goodbye before following Tsunade back towards the village.

"My Lady, what's this about? You just ruined a perfectly good afternoon I was having with Tenten," he grumbled.

"Oh really now? I thought you didn't like her?"

"Things change," he huffed.

"Just like that? Just a few days ago you were on this kick about saving your beloved Hinata. What? You don't love her anymore?" Tsunade teased.

"OF COURSE I STILL LOVE HER! I'VE ALWAYS LOVED HER AND…" He stopped yelling once he realized the shocking confession he had just made.

"Aha! I knew it! So that's why you were in such a hurry to get to her. Well she's back and you're both safe and sound. So give me a really good reason why you're not with her right now."

"Because I was trying to have an afternoon with Tenten."

"Tenten…I see…get back at Hinata and Sasuke with Tenten."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I care for Tenten a whole lot."

"But you don't love her."

"I wouldn't know. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go meet my teammates." Tsunade stopped in her tracks and let out a sigh. They were almost back at the tower and Tsunade wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Neji…Hinata is sick and I need your help." His eyes flashed with anger and concern but he managed to suppress his emotions.

"Why do you need my help? What can I do? You're the expert on medicine."

"Yes but this sickness…it's different. The curse mark that Orochimaru put on her is feeding off of her unstable emotions."

"What the hell does that mean?" he snapped.

"The quick summary?" she winced.

"Yes."

"She's…dying." Neji just stood there staring at the ground_. She can't be…dying. Unstable emotions?_

"Is she…awake?" he asked softly.

"Well…yes and no. She's in some sort of curse induced coma caused by emotional distress. She's called out your name several times…I just figured…Neji, I don't know what happened between the two of you but I need you, she needs you."

"I…I'll go but Lady Tsunade…I don't know how much help I'll be and…I'm afraid," he muttered.

"Why are you afraid?" He looked away not wanting to meet her eyes. "Neji…it's alright. You can trust me."

"What if…Tsunade I love her with all my heart and I have always loved her. I fear I may have added to her emotional distress. One night I kissed her…but I never told her why. I know she's always been afraid of me and before Orochimaru took her away from me, we were starting to get closer…as friends. I just…I regret that I never told her my feelings and if she…dies…"

"NO NEJI! We can't think like that. You want her to know how you feel then you get in there and show her. Bring her back to us Neji."

"Even if I…uncle would…"

"Your uncle is just as worried as you are. Try as you might to hide your feelings, I can see right through you and considering the circumstances, I don't think he's going to be too concerned about who loves who. Now let's go."

"Alright."_Hinata…Don't die on me…_

* * *

**AN:**_The end is near…Oh and one other thing—LEMONS! There is a chance that one of the next chapters will have lemons. Let me stress the fact that sometimes my lemons tend to be…um…more detailed than they should. I personally think our rating system should go up to at least MA but whatever. Anyway, that being said, if you do not like lemons then please….PLEASE skip them or don't read on. I know a lot of younger people read Naruto fanfiction but if you know that you aren't supposed to be reading lemons, then don't read mature rated stories. Now, I am not upset with anyone nor have I had any complaints it's just that I am taking all the necessary precautions just in case. So there. You've been warned. Continue at your own risk. Love you guys and seriously…the end is near…o.O...-nervous chuckle- Ialmost forgot, the next update...I have no idea but there are onky two chapters left so...I'll post them when I can but in the meantime REVIEW! And/Or read another one of my stories. Laterz  
_


	34. Orochimaru's Curse and Neji's Love

Neji followed Lady Tsunade into her office and was surprised to see his uncle sitting in a corner with his head down. He looked up when they walked in and his eyes were red as though he had been crying nonstop.

"Lord Hokage…Neji…" Neji bowed his head respectfully and nodded at Kakashi. "Tsunade, what's he…not that I'm not glad to see him but…"

"He's going to help with Hinata. How has she been?"

"Well…she's still been moaning and mumbling about things; mostly death and Neji. She even mentioned Orochimaru's name once but she never said why." He held his head down and started to sob again and at that moment, the seriousness of the situation hit Neji like a dagger. His eyes moved slowly towards the desk that Hinata was resting upon and he wanted to break down into tears. She was twitching and moaning with sweat pouring from her head. He could see the curse mark clearly on her neck and it was glowing like mad.

"**Can't…do this…anymore…die…kill me…**" she moaned. Neji ran over towards the desk and took her by the hand.

"Hinata? Hinata can you hear me?" he asked frantically.

"**I want to…die…the pain…protect him…**"

"Tsunade…what's…what's wrong with her? Why does she want to die?" Neji asked through clenched teeth. It was taking every ounce of energy not to do as his uncle and break down and cry.

"I'm not sure…She's releasing thoughts that have been weighing her down. I don't know much about that curse mark. It's one of Orochimaru's specialties and I can't even begin to imagine the pain her body might be in."

"**Protect me…Neji…don't go…**"

Neji turned back around and stared down at his cousin. _I don't know what to do…How can I save her?_ He clenched his fists tightly as he stared at the frail body of his cousin. _If she dies…I'll never forgive myself_. She twisted violently towards him and he instinctively scooped her into his arms and held her against his chest. He held on tightly as she twisted and moaned until she finally calmed down. He dropped to his knees while holding her body and began to sob.

"Hinata…princess…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm here princess…I'm here just…just come back to me…" Her body began to shake again but he refused to let go. He held on tight, rocking her back and forth trying to stop her from shaking.

"Ne…Neji…" she moaned.

"I'm here! Hinata please! Can you hear me?!?! Wake up! Wake up princess!" Her body stopped shaking violently but her breathing had become slow and labored. "Hinata…?" Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled weakly.

"Neji? You're…here…I…I must be dreaming…" Her eyes closed again and she went limp.

"Hi…Hinata? Hinata open your eyes princess! I'm here! I'm really here!" he cried. He shook her lightly and her eyes fluttered open.

"Neji…I'm…what's happening to me? I feel…so…so tired. My body…it hurts so much…"

"Shh…it's ok," he whispered. "You're going to be alright princess. I'm here." He leaned over and kissed her forehead bringing a small smile across her face.

"Neji…I'm…glad you're here. I thought…I'd lost you…"

"Why? Why would you think that? No…don't answer because I know. I…I've treated you horribly in the past and I am paying for it everyday. When I look at you and you look back with that frightened expression upon your face, every time it hurts my heart. I feel so guilty about how I've treated you in the past and that frightened look that crosses your beautiful pale face just pains me." A tear rolled down his cheek and onto Hinata's chest. She stared up at him intently, her eyes starting to tear up as well.

"Neji…I'm not…afraid anymore. You…you want to know why?" He nodded his head because he was unable to speak. His throat was in knots and he was a wreck. Just holding Hinata in his arms, staring down at her frail body and knowing that she needed him was just too overwhelming. "When I…started dating Kilik, you were always there for me. You…at first it seemed like you…were just trying to…pick a fight with him…but when you fought him that day in the marketplace, I realized that you were only trying to prove a point. Then…I don't remember much about our trip…but…I can remember that night, after the ball…I was walking all alone towards the guest house. The entire time I can remember wishing you were there to protect me. When you found me, I was sprawled out on the ground and you were wearing a mask but…when you took it off and I saw that it was really you, my heart skipped a beat. At the time I couldn't understand why but now I…" She stopped talking for a moment and tried to sit up.

"Hinata…wait! You're still very weak…"

"No! I have to…" She grabbed Neji's shirt and pulled herself up so that she was now face to face with him. They were so close that they could feel each other's breath on the other. Hinata threw her arms around him and started crying. Neji held onto her frail body, running his fingers through her hair. "You stayed with me that night," she continued. "You stayed at my request. When I woke up and you were still there, it…excited me. I'm sorry for…I'm babbling aren't I?" she cried faintly.

"No…not at all princess. Tell me everything that's on your mind." _I need her to talk…It's the only way…_

"I…I hugged you and you hugged me back. It was the greatest feeling that I'd felt in so long. It was…I felt so weak in your arms but at the same time, I knew I was well protected."

"Oh did you now?" he chuckled. "Then that means I'm doing my job," he replied softly trying to lighten the mood. He rested his head on her shoulder taking in the sweet scent of her hair. It felt so good having his princess in his arms again. He hated seeing her so distraught but at the same time he loved the fact that he was the one she was clinging to for comfort and protection. It was what he had always wanted.

"After…doing some more thinking, I realize that I…may have felt something else too that day."

"Oh? And what was that princess?"

"Love," she whispered. Neji's jaw dropped and he let go of her, pushing her away so that he could look into her eyes. They were still filled with tears but she was wearing the most peculiar look on her face. Neji could not believe what he had heard and for moment he thought he had just imagined it. It was when her expression changed to one of pure sadness that he realized he had heard her correctly. "But…I know…you don't love me like that and I understand," she said softly. "I just…I'm not supposed to love you but I do and for the first time in my life, I don't feel like being shy and holding back so…so even if you don't…I just wanted you to know that I…" Neji cupped Hinata's face and covered her lips with his own. When her lips parted, he took full advantage, sliding his tongue in her mouth and kissing her hungrily as if he had been starved of her kisses. This went on for several seconds until he finally managed to tear his lips from hers. He stared deeply into her eyes, taking in the dazed look on her face and smiling down at her happily. He was so overjoyed he didn't know what to do.

"Hinata, you have just made me the happiest man alive."

"But…I thought you were…with Lita? And what about Tenten? You said earlier that…"

"I only said those things because I thought you didn't love me. I must admit that I care about Lita and Tenten too but after spending time with them both, I realized that those feelings were nothing compared to the ones I have for you."

"So…so does that mean…?"

"I love you too Hinata," he replied, his voice low and full of hunger. "I've loved you since…the day Naruto opened my eyes. I've watched you sit alone everyday in this village and it was Kurenai that encouraged me to say something to you. I was…too afraid to say something to you personally. I knew people would ask questions and I just didn't want to put you through that. So she…convinced me to…write you letters." Hinata looked up at him, her eyes now wide with shock. She reached into her shirt pocket only to find that it was empty. It was at that very second when a piece of origami flew by and landed in her lap. Neji frowned as she opened the origami to reveal familiar looking handwriting. _Could it be?_

_You should know better than to be out_

_alone at night princess. By the way, you_

_sing beautifully._

_Xoxoxo_

"It was…you?" He looked away, his head down in shame.

"I know…lame huh? But I…I know they can't compare to Sasuke's suave speeches but…"

"Neji, I don't…It's true that I've grown feelings for Sasuke but he's not the one that I am in love with...and he's not here rescuing me from myself. I'm in love with you and I…I can't imagine how I would be without you."

"Prove it," he whispered.

"How?" she asked with a frown. He put his arms around her and pulled her close, brushing his lips against her neck.

"Say you'll be mine." He started planting small, fevered kisses on her neck, running a finger down her back.

"Always," she whispered. There was a loud cough that made the both of them jump. They looked up to see Tsunade, Kakashi, and Hiashi approaching them out of the shadows. Neji lowered his head and cursed softly under his breath. He had forgotten that he and Hinata were not alone which meant that his uncle now knew everything.

"Lord Hokage…I…I can explain," Neji started but she cut him off by kneeling down and pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you Neji." Tsunade stood to her feet and motioned for Kakashi to follow her. "We're going to give you all some time alone. When I return, I will treat Hinata so that you all can go home and relax." When they left, the Hyuga's just sat there in an awkward silence for no one knew what to say or how to begin. Neji was the first to speak up.

"Uncle…please forgive me…"

"There's no need to explain Neji. Watching you two awhile ago made me realize something."

"What's that uncle?"

"That true love can be found in the most unsuspecting of ways. I'll admit," he said thoughtfully, "that when Kilik told me about you two, I was outraged. I thought that you were trying to take advantage of Hinata's vulnerability but both of you have just shown me that I couldn't have been more wrong."

"How father?"

"You see, I always knew that you two liked each other. When you both were little, I had to keep you apart because the elders of the clan thought that you were getting too close. When your father died Neji, it was tragic but at the same time the elders were delighted that you and Hinata were no longer close. While I really have no issue with cousins being…a pair, the elders have always had it in their heads to use Hinata to bring peace among the Leaf Village and other nations by marrying her off to someone who's of great importance in another village. That was the first mistake that I made. I was so caught up in doing what the elders thought best that I failed to see how Hinata felt. I should have included her more. More importantly Neji, I should have listened to you too. You saw Kilik for what he really was and I was too blind and too stubborn to hear you out. I hope you'll forgive me."

"Certainly."

"Hinata?" She looked up her father and smiled.

"Of course father. I love you too much to stay angry."

"Well now that I've apologized we have something serious to discuss. Hinata, you told me earlier today that you were not ready for marriage. While you were…sleeping, I had plenty of time to think about things. I have decided that you do not have to marry right now. I don't think I'll be dying anytime soon although after last week…" he chuckled, "you just never know. But even so, I trust you'll be able to find a husband who loves you with all his heart and will make us proud to have him as part of the Hyuga family."

"Unless he's already part of the family," Neji chimed in softly. Hinata stared at him curiously, her mouth wide with shock, until a slow grin formed on her face.

"Are you suggesting…?" she teased.

"Uh…well…no…I was just…I mean, you never know…oh forget it," he grumbled. Hiashi and Hinata looked at one another before bursting into laughter. Neji just stared at the floor, his face red out of embarrassment. _That was silly of me…I knew better…_He felt a smooth hand lift his chin and he soon found himself staring into the beautiful orbs that were Hinata's. She brought her lips to his kissing him softly, a small grin forming across her lips as she pulled away.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Am I not allowed to kiss my husband?" she asked. He stared at her in awe until a smile graced his lips as well.

"Hinata, I was only…but I mean if you want to…I'll…"

"Neji I would love to marry you and become your wife."

"But if you marry me, you do realize that you will be more than just my wife."

"Hmm…your_princess_?"

"No…my queen," he grinned. He brought his lips to hers for another quick kiss before standing to his feet. He leaned over and scooped Hinata in his arms. "Uncle, I'm taking my princess to the hospital to be treated. Are you…going to be alright?"

"I'm more than ok now thanks to you nephew. I'll see you two later at the Hyuga mansion. And Neji? I am so very proud of you for hanging in there and following your heart." He nodded his head and headed out the door with his love in his arms. It was the happiest he had been in so long and he was actually psyched about being engaged. He couldn't wait to tell his friends the good news, the friends he almost never had. He looked down at his woman and smiled.

"I love you Hinata."

"I love you too Neji."

* * *

**AN:**_Yeah I know, it was more fluffy than usual but I couldn't help it. Hinata's great to work with and I am just smitten with Neji. Some of you are probably upset about Sasuke but I'm sorry. I meant for Neji/Hin to get together this time but maybe later when I get some time I'll write a Sas/Hin fic. In the meantime, I didn't say Sasuke was completely out of the picture. You'll just have to wait and see. _


	35. Epilogue: Unrequitted Futures

Tsunade gave Hinata a sleeping drought and put her to sleep. She was in a deep sleep for three days and Tsunade had to ban Neji from the hospital. On the day of her release, Neji was waiting outside and to Hinata's surprise he was not alone.

"Neji! Oh…Kiba…and…Shino?" They all ran up to her and gave her a quick hug before turning her over to Neji. He immediately scooped her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Neji! You don't have to…carry me you know," she giggled. He put her down and wrapped his arms around her.

"I've missed you."

"Well…I've only been gone three days."

"But that's three days we haven't had together. We'll have to make up for it later." She blushed until her face was a deep shade of pink. Shino and Kiba just laughed.

"You know Hinata, when Neji first told us about your engagement, I thought it was weird but seeing the two of you together like this, I actually think it's kinda cute," Kiba smirked.

"Glad you approve Kiba," Neji replied.

"So do I. I've always hoped this would happen," Shino added. "For some reason, I've never thought anyone was good enough for Hinata. But Neji…this is a decision in which neither of you can go wrong. And as much as I was getting used to the idea of Hinata and Kilik or Neji and Tenten, this just seems like the perfect fit."

"Th…thank you guys so much," Hinata replied shyly. Neji leaned over and kissed her cheek. Before he could scoop her in his arms and run off, Tsunade appeared in front of them all.

"Lord Hokage, to what do we owe this honor?" Neji asked bowing. The others followed suit by bowing as well.

"Oh there's no need to bow. This is strictly me popping in to deliver good news. Neji, your uncle has insisted that the two of you get married soon. He's…on some sort of tirade about grandchildren," she laughed. Neji and Hinata cast each other wary looks but then laughed.

"Uh…is that the news?" Shino asked.

"No…hmm…oh yes, I come to tell you that Lita and Kendrik are now officially over the village hidden in the rain. They have started back up their ninja training program and Iruka has agreed to help them with their younger students for a while just to give them an idea of how to get started."

"That's great! I'm very proud of them," Hinata said happily.

"Yeah, I thought you might wanna know. Anyway, I gotta go oh and Shino…Kiba, Kurenai is looking for you." Tsunade disappeared and after saying their good-byes, Shino and Kiba disappeared as well leaving Neji and Hinata all alone.

"You know if you're not ready for children then that's all well and good however, I'll have you to know that I have no problem whatsoever helping you make them," he whispered. She looked at him, her eyes wide with shock before she started to smile.

"I…only desirable women are worth conceiving with."

"And you get more and more desirable with each passing second and if you're not careful, I just may prove it to you. The 'rotation' that I use against my enemies is nothing compared to the 'rotation' I'll use against you my princess." Her jaw dropped at this causing Neji to chuckle. He scooped her into his arms and smiled down at her. "It's time to make up for lost time princess. Where to my lady?"

"How about the spring? The one just outside the forest?"

"Perfect."

---------------------------------------

--------

Orochimaru sat in his study lost in thought. It had been almost a week and a half since the Leaf Village weaklings had broken in and taken back his captives. This angered Lord Orochimaru to the point where he had almost sent Kabuto to retrieve Hinata. Even though she was just a mere child, he had grown fond of her in the short time he spent with her. The innocence on her face, the rare beauty, the frightened looks she had atoned when she would temporarily snap out of her trance…it was all very…satisfying. Orochimaru stood to his feet and walked down the hall. He found Sasuke sitting on the floor staring at the ground. _Mmm…poor Sasuke. I know about you and your feelings for Hinata. I can't say that I blame you because I fear I may have feelings for her too. Oh bother…we'll get her back soon Sasuke but in the meantime…_

"Hey Sasuke. I have some news for you," Orochimaru hissed.

"I hope it's helpful. I'm tired of wasting time here. The sooner I find my brother the better."

"Well, on the contrary it will be much sooner. I hear the Akatsuki is nearby. So close in fact, that they are planning on making a few short stops near here; one stop being the Village Hidden in the Leaves," he grinned.

"WHAT?!? WHEN? HOW LONG DO I HAVE?" he asked eagerly.

"Hmm…I'm not really sure but if it's any help to you, I hear that they took out a whole village about 400 miles south of here. That means they are—give or take—2 weeks from here. Now what are you planning to do Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Nothing. I'll wait for him to come to me."

"Mhmm…smart boy." _He's trying to protect the Leaf Village and more importantly Hinata. The boy has grown soft…but I may be able to use this to my advantage._ "If you need me, I'll be in my study. I have plans to make for future takeovers. Oh, and by the way Sasuke, I hear Hinata's getting married. A little birdie told me that she's marrying…her cousin and most feared of all Hyuga's…_Neji_."

Orochimaru left moments later leaving Sasuke in a much better mood._So you're finally showing your face big brother? This time I will succeed in killing you and then afterwards…_He pulled a pink hair bow out of his pocket and frowned. _Neji and Hinata…cousins? How strange…why would Neji…_But then it dawned on him. Neji must have also had feelings for Hinata.

"That would explain why he was so anxious to get Kilik out of the way."_Oh well…guess that means I'll have to tread lightly but Neji better watch out. The first time he starts pushing Hinata away I'll be right there with arms wide open…_

_--------------------------------- _

Neji and Hinata had been lying underneath a tree watching the sky all afternoon. Neji was enjoying running his hands through her hair while she rested next to him. Every now and then a soft purr would escape her causing the bulge in his pants to become ever so bothersome. A rough breeze passed through, pushing strands of Hinata's navy strands in her face. She reached up to move them but Neji stopped her.

"No…I'll get it." He rolled over to his side and pulled the strands out of her face, revealing those marvelous Hyuga orbs. "Is that better?"

"Ye…yes." He stared at her for the longest of times until she reached up and caressed his cheek. His eyes closed immediately, taking in her soft touch. "I…I love it…when you do that," she whispered.

"Do what?"

"Respond to my touches," she answered shyly.

"Now watch me respond to yours." He rolled over on top of her and just stared into her eyes hungrily. He had been telling himself all day that he would not take advantage of her. He closed his eyes and cursed himself for even thinking…but then he felt her fingers teasing his spine and he just had to respond. He sat up and removed his shirt before covering her body with his; leaning over to kiss her neck gently.

"Neji…" His lips moved from her neck to her mouth, covering it and kissing her hard and hungrily. Low growls escaped his throat as her hands moved up and down his chest. He sat up and ripped Hinata's shirt off and was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing a bra. He lowered his head and took one of her breasts into his mouth suckling gently, responding to her every moan.

"Neji…" As he continued to play with her nipples, his hands made their way down her sides and up her skirt feeling her silky smooth legs and thighs.

"I almost forgot how soft you were princess." He slid her panties off of her and tossed them aside. Then he ran his hands back up her skirt until her reached his destination. She let out a gasp when he touched her but he just grinned. Her embarrassed look just seemed to turn him on much more and the fact that she was already ready for him thrilled him to the fullest. But still…he had always wanted to…

"Neji…please…" she begged.

"As you wish." His fingers caressed her softly as she wriggled around. Her need for him was increasing with each passing second but Neji wanted to pleasure her beyond belief. He slipped in his finger and she let out a loud cry as he moved within her, his gentle fingers finding all the right places.

"Neji…Neji please…" He finally removed his fingers and then grabbed her right leg, lifting it towards his face. He played with her toes making her giggle before licking each one…his tongue making a path up her thighs and back to her womanhood. His tongue moved up and down, tasting all of her as she ran her fingers in his hair, moaning with pleasure. His tongue moved gracefully within her and it wasn't long before the orgasm hit causing her to cry out.

"Shh…not so loud princess," he whispered. "Don't want uncle to hear you," he said chuckling. He slipped out of his pants and crawled on top of her but she quickly rolled over, putting him on bottom. "Hi…Hinata?"

"My turn," she whispered. She straddled him then leaned forward planting small kisses down his chest and in between his thighs. She smiled up at him before taking him into her mouth, making circles with her tongue causing him moan with pleasure.

"Oh…Hinata…I can't…I have to have you now!" He sat up and grabbed her by the waist, placing her on top of him. He was about to roll her over but she had already took him in her hand, slipping his hardness inside of her.

"Hi…Hinata…" She smiled rocking back and forth as he caressed her breasts. Her rhythm was slow and steady but he longed for more of her. His hands found her hips, lifting her slightly so he could feel more of her. She rocked faster and faster but before her orgasm could hit he pulled her close and flipped her over so that he was now on top.

"My turn," he whispered. "Let me guide you to our destination." She wrapped her legs around his waist as he parted her legs and settled between her. She lifted her head and kissed him gently before he plunged deep inside her, making her gasp.

"Ne…Neji…" She bit her bottom lip and curled her toes as he thrust deeper finding each sensitive spot as if he'd always known. She arched her back moving with him, matching his rhythm with her own. One…two…three thrusts later and they both cried out. Both were exhausted yet neither wanted to move. Finally Neji rolled over and pulled Hinata against him. He threw an arm over her and kissed the back of her head. She sighed and wriggled next to him making herself more comfortable.

"Better stop that wriggling. It might get you into trouble," he whispered.

"I think I'm already in trouble," she said happily. He reached behind him and grabbed his jacket, throwing it over the both of them.

"Hinata…are you certain…this is what you want?"

"I've never been surer of anything in my life. I love you Neji Hyuga and I hope you'll be my husband."

"I love you too Hinata. Don't worry. I'll be your husband, your lover, your king, and your protector for as long as you want me too."

"How about forever?"

"As you wish my princess."

They both laid there under the tree until they both fell asleep, each dreaming about the other and the metamorphosis that worked to change their destinies for the better. This, however, was only the beginning of a long and beautiful future that awaited them both.

**The End **

* * *

AN: Okay. So I hope you enjoyed it. I just had to get a little Neji/Hinata action otherwise it would have been a gip to myself. Yes, this is the end. I think 35 chapters is long enough. Whew. And let me tell you, I never intended to make this story so long…or so complicated. o.O Gahh, I do it to myself everytime…which is why I have so many unfinished stories. I plan to finish them…eventually. It's kind of hard when your mind is always running with brilliance. Now about the **ending**…If I wanted to do a sequel—no let me rephrase that—if I had the TIME to do a sequel, I could easily do one. My mind had already thought about four chapters into a sequel which would most likely begin with the return of Mr. Sasuke Uchiha or the Akatsuki. Although, if I did a sequel, I'd only complicate things more. I have hinted at several possible pairings which include Sakura/Gaara, Tenten/Lee, Sasuke/Hinata, Hinata/Itachi, Hinata/Orochimaru, Tsunade/Kakashi, and then I still have Lita and Kendrik—both who are very single. But like I said, these are all just possibilities. I don't know if I'd have time to do one anytime soon. I really, really need to make better grades this semester. I got 3 Bs, a C, and a D. The 'D' came from New Testament but really, can you blame me? Actually, I would get bored in there and start writing fanfiction. I know. I need to be a better Christian but at least I passed! –grins- Well, I think that's everything. The world has not ended. If you liked this story so much, just read some of my others. I highly doubt you'll be disappointed. If I have a story that sucks, I quit writing it. Simple as that. Moving on…**Thanks**…Special thanks goes out to all who have read and reviewed. Your reviews are encouraging and I feed off of them to make myself better. For those of you who just read and did not review, I'm not mad at you. In fact, the old saying goes, if you have nothing nice to say then don't say it at all so I'll just assume that you hated it. LOL Let's see…I think that's everything. Sorry for such a long author's note but I felt thanks was definitely in order since this was my first story that reached over 100 reviews. Yay!


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